Abstract:
Concentrated solar power integrated with the calcium looping process enables dispatchable power generation. However, from an equipment perspective, various challenges such as high energy demand of CO2 compressors and the immaturity of solid–solid heat exchangers impede the application of such a system. In the present work, an integrated system incorporating concentrated solar power and methane bi-reforming was proposed for the co-generation of methanol and electricity. Energy analysis examined the impact of eliminating the CO2 compressor, designing thermal integration without solid–solid heat exchangers and adopting solar reforming receivers on the system. Results showed that removing CO2 compressors led to a power generation efficiency of 19.51 %, indicating an increase of 11.68 %. Thermal integration further improved the power generation efficiency to 21.00 %, indicating an increase of 7.64 %. The thermal efficiency for the synthesis of methanol exhibited no decline and achieved a value of 50.27 %. In addition, solar-driven methane bi-reforming reduced the CO2 emissions by 76.60 % to 0.11 t CO2/t CH3OH for the synthesis of methanol. Exergy analysis showed that the total exergy efficiency of the proposed system reached the value of 58.42 %. Techno-economic analysis showed that levelized costs of electricity and product for the proposed system were as low as 148.92 $/MWh and 348.37 $/t, respectively. Therefore, the proposed system has considerable potential for the co-generation of electricity and methanol.
Zhihui Wang, Nan He, Qicheng Chen, Yingjin Zhang, Liang Yao, Co-generation of methanol and electricity using integrated concentrated solar power, calcium looping, and methane bi-reforming: Energy, exergy and economic analyses, Energy Conversion and Management, Volume 327, 2025, 119585, ISSN 0196-8904, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2025.119585
