In the plant presented here, CO2 is captured thanks to the introduction of an “active” component, the MCFC,
which adds power to the plant energy balance while acting as a CO2 concentrator [1,2]. In the proposed solution, the
gas turbine exhausts are used as cathode feeding for a MCFC, where CO2 and O2 are transferred (as CO3
= ions) from
the cathode side to the anode side, fed with reformed syngas from natural gas (Figure 1). In such a way CO2 is
concentrated in the anode exhaust gases, making easier its separation. Since while transferring the CO2, the fuel cell
produces “CO2-free” extra power, the overall energy balance for CO2 separation becomes positive and the specific
emissions [kgCO2/MWhel] can be reduced compared to more conventional methods using chemical absorption such
as with amines.