Workshop on Operating Flexibility of Power Plants With Carbon Capture and Storage
Tom Wilson participated in the International Energy Agency (IEA) workshop on Flexible Operation of Coal Plants with CCS, held Nov. 11–12 at Imperial College in London.  His presentation, “Value of Flexible Operation of Advanced Coal Plants with CCS,” described EPRI’s work estimating the economic value of flexibility over time in several U.S. regions.  Wilson’s presentation focused on the additional flexibility that could be offered by regaining capacity at a coal plant with CCS by bypassing carbon capture equipment or by storing interim products on site during peak power demands.  Having this flexibility may be economically attractive when electricity prices are high and CO₂ prices are low and it may also provide significant value in terms of ramp-up speed.  Flexibility value depends on plant configuration, region, electricity prices, generation needs, and other factors.  Presentation slides from the workshop may be downloaded from IEA’s Greenhouse Gas R&D Program website.  For more information, contact Tom Wilson, (650) 855-7928, twilson@epri.com.