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Concept
Gas-fired power plant
Summary
A gas-fired power plant (sometimes referred to as "gas-fired power station" or "natural gas power plant") is a thermal power station that burns natural gas to generate electricity. Gas-fired power plants generate almost a quarter of world electricity and are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. However, they can provide seasonal, dispatchable energy generation to compensate for variable renewable energy deficits, where hydropower or interconnectors are not available.
Thermal power station
A gas-fired power plant is a type of fossil fuel power station in which chemical energy stored in natural gas, which is mainly methane, is converted successively into: thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy. Although they cannot exceed the Carnot cycle limit for conversion of heat energy into useful work the excess heat may be used in cogeneration plants to heat buildings, produce hot water, or to heat materials on an industrial scale.
In a simple cycle gas-turbine, also known as open-cycle gas-turbine (OCGT), hot gas drives a gas turbine to generate electricity. This type of plant is relatively cheap to build and can start very quickly, but due to its lower efficiency is at most is only run for a few hours a day as a peaking power plant.
Combined cycle power plant
CCGT power plants consist of simple cycle gas-turbines which use the Brayton cycle, followed by a heat recovery steam generator and a steam turbine which use the Rankine cycle. The most common configuration is two gas-turbines supporting one steam turbine. They are more efficient than simple cycle plants and can achieve efficiencies up to 55% and dispatch times of around half an hour.
Reciprocating engine
Reciprocating internal combustion engines tend to be under 20MW, so much smaller than other types of natural gas-fired electricity generator, and are typically used for emergency power or to balance variable renewable energy such as wind and solar.
In total gas-fired power stations emit about of per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated.
Official source
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