Assessment of Power Generation Concepts on Oil Platforms in Conjunction With CO2 Removal

Abstract

The introduction in 1991 of a CO2-tax on offshore combustion of natural gas has lead to an increased interest in both energy conservation and the possibility of separating CO2 from gas turbine exhaust. In this paper, several power generation concepts based on natural gas combustion by existing technology have been assessed in order to find the concept best suited for CO2 removal. An important factor when developing processes for offshore implementation is that space and weight are very expensive offshore. The suggested process consists of a power generation unit, a CO2 absorption unit and a CO2 compression unit. The power generation concepts have been evaluated in order to find the concept which combines the factors low exhaust gas flow, high CO2 concentration, high efficiency and low weight in the best possible manner. The result of the assessment is that a combined cycle with recycling of 40% of the exhaust volume back to the compressor inlet, is best suited for CO2 removal among the options studied.