The report gives results of an evaluation of the development status of advanced coal combustion technologies and discusses the preparation of performance and economic models for their application to electric utility plants. The technologies addressed were atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC), pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC), and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). The development status was also reviewed for pulverized-coal-fired (PC) boilers incorporating supercritical steam cycles. Although advanced combustion technologies are attractive due to decreased SO2 and NOx emission characteristics and potentially higher generating efficiencies, full commercial readiness does not appear feasible before the mid to late 1990s. Capital cost estimates for a new plant at 500 MW ranged from $1,250 to $1,910/kW for advanced technologies and from $1,380 to $1,810/kW for conventional systems. Capital cost estimates for PFBC (turbocharged cycle) and conventional plants with add-on SO2 and NOx controls were within 4% of the median cost ($1,580/kW) of all technologies evaluated. AFBC costs averaged 12% less than this median, while IGCC costs averaged 11% above the median. Potential capital cost savings for repowering an existing plant versus constructing a new facility at the same final capacity are between 10 and 40%.

"EPA/600/7-90/015." "August 1990." Microfiche.