Abstract:
The continuously increasing demand for energy has resulted in the fast depletion of
conventional energy sources, resulting in a high degree of environmental issues
worldwide. This thesis consists of a review and model development to determine the
opportunities and impacts (i.e. cumulative equivalent CO2 emissions produced) of
implementing various clean and transitional energy systems within the context of a large
scale power facility (the Boundary Dam Plant, in Canada). Based on conducted work, it
was recommended that there was potential for co-generation facilities using renewable
energy systems (i.e. biogas) equipped with carbon capture and storage. An emission
forecasting model was developed to incorporating the long term production of emissions
from the construction, operations and potential closure of an existing coal-fired and
NGCC facilities, while considering the emission impacts of technological
implementation, demand market requirements, and long term emission impacts within the
atmosphere. The technologies had been evaluated on the basis of effective plant capacity
(GW) and cumulative plant equivalent CO2 emissions (tonnes/GWh). Modelling metrics
were applied to the Boundary Dam Power Station in Saskatchewan, Canada, an existing
coal-fired power plant and site of the world’s first commercial CCS facility. The plant
has been assessed on the basis that natural gas conversion of the facility will happen
within the next 4 years, due to provincial and national regulatory and demand constraints.
Based on the results provided by means of the developed model for the 15 year
projection, it was concluded that the best development for the Boundary Dam facility
(lowest cumulative equivalent CO2 emissions while meeting downstream energy demand over the projected timeframe) was to begin the construction and operation of a Natural
Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) plant equipped with CCS on the operating turbines.
Alternatively, if these cases were analysed at a 35 year scenario, the best development
was through the construction and operation of a NGCC biogas integrated plant equipped
with CCS on the operating turbines.
Description:
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina. IX, 136 p.
