Low-Carbon Power System Dispatch Incorporating Carbon Capture Power Plants

In a carbon-constrained world, CO₂ emissions will become a new concern in power system dispatch. Meanwhile, carbon capture power plants (CCPPs), which are a critical low-carbon power generation option, will have a significant impact on power system operation and dispatch. This paper presents research on low-carbon power system dispatch (LCPSD) incorporating CCPPs. The operating mechanism of CCPPs is investigated first. Then, the operating characteristics of CCPPs in power system dispatch are analyzed, including feasible power output limits, ramping rates and relationships between the power outputs and the carbon emissions. A comprehensive LCPSD model is formulated, in which the carbon emissions of power plants are treated as a new set of decision variables, and low-carbon-related cost terms are considered. The dispatch features of CCPPs are elaborately formulated and incorporated into the LCPSD model. The effectiveness and the validity of the proposed LCPSD mode and model are demonstrated using numerical examples based on an IEEE 118-bus tested system.