International Energy Agency Study
The International Energy Agency released a study41 in 2013 looking at opportunities to reduce
CO2 emissions using upgrades and efficiency improvements at CFPPs. IEA concluded that
substantial improvements (i.e., retrofits) may be seen as cost-effective if these economically
restore the efficiency of a power plant.
Despite involving substantial outlay (typically US$100–200 million), retrofits will provide a
payback in restored generation, fuel saving, extended plant life, and, in some countries, CO2
emissions cost savings. There are also benefits of reduced specific emissions of other
pollutants.42
Retrofits include turbine upgrades, condenser optimization, increasing the capacity and efficiency
of air-cooled condensers, boiler system improvements, and improvements to other systems where
energy losses can occur (as shown in Figure 6).
However, IEA affirmed that major plant retrofits and upgrades (i.e., conversion of subcritical PC
units to super- or ultra-supercritical PC units) would raise efficiencies more substantially. IEA
used the example of a conversion of a subcritical 500 MW unit in the United Kingdom to a
supercritical pressure, which was projected to raise net generation efficiency from 38% to 44%
(on a lower heating value basis). The upgrade was projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 500,000
tonnes per year.