Techno-Economic Evaluation of Polygeneration System for Power and DME Production from Power Plant Flue Gas Using Direct and Indirect Synthesis Methods

Khalili-Garakani, Amirhossein; Davoudi, Sahar; Ghasemi Nejad, Masoumeh

doi:10.22050/ijogst.2024.388637.1670

Techno-Economic Evaluation of Polygeneration System for Power and DME Production from Power Plant Flue Gas Using Direct and Indirect Synthesis Methods

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Amirhossein Khalili-Garakani ¹

Sahar Davoudi ²

Masoumeh Ghasemi Nejad ³

¹ 1 Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Process Engineering Department, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran

² 2 M.S. Student, Research Assistant, Chemistry and Process Engineering Department, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran

³ 3 Assistant Professor, Iranian Institute of Research and Development in Chemical Industries (IRDCI)-(ACECR), Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22050/ijogst.2024.388637.1670

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of burning fossil fuels and the resulting carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions have become a major concern. Various methods, including the synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME), have been proposed to address this issue. DME is considered a clean and sustainable fuel and is being regarded as an alternative to fossil fuels that can help reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants. This study assesses the cost of coproduction of dimethyl ether and electricity from the CO₂ flue gas of power plants. Producing this alternative fuel can reduce the power plant’s fuel consumption and environmental impacts while generating electricity. A feasibility study was conducted to integrate CO₂ recovery and utilization units from the flue gas of power plants for the synthesis of DME fuel using economic calculations in both direct and indirect methods. The total capital cost of establishing a DME production unit was 2% higher through the direct method than the indirect method, due to the higher cost of equipment. Further, the cost of raw materials and utility was about 19% and 78% higher in the direct method than the indirect method, respectively, increasing the annual cost of DME production in this method by 52%.

Highlights

· Evaluating the cost of co-production of dimethyl ether and electricity from the CO₂ flue gas of power plants;

· Producing alternative fuel and saving the power plant fuel consumption;

· Preventing the harmful effects of carbon dioxide emissions into the environment;

· Demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of indirect DME production in comparison to the direct method.

Keywords

DME synthesis, Polygeneration operation, Flue gas, Sustainable electricity, Economic evaluation

Subjects

Chemical Engineering

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