Thermodynamic Modeling and Emission Assessment of Coalbed Methane Utilization in Power Generation: A Case Study from Russia

At present, both in Russia and globally, a variety of methodologies are employed to estimate coalbed methane (CBM) reserves, often leading to considerable discrepancies in reported figures. Additionally, due to the lack of sufficient experience in Russia regarding the development of these resources using field production technologies and, accordingly, the assessment of the technological feasibility of methane extraction, it is crucial to significantly revise the above estimates downward when planning and implementing industrial gas production projects. This study presents a calculation conducted by the authors using the “EBSILON® Professional” program for modeling thermodynamic processes in the energy system, which allowed comparison of energy production from three types of fuel: coal, oil, and gas. During modeling, the fuel consumption was assumed to be 10 kg/sec. Based on this assumption and considering the operating conditions along with other design parameters, the useful power output, total energy, and exergy efficiency, as well as CO2 emission factors (expressed in mgCO2/kWh), were calculated and presented for each type of fuel. The results of the study show that the projected emission estimate for the use of CBM in a combined cycle with natural gas in power plants is the lowest among the three fuels, at 245.35 mgCO2/kWh. Consequently, the use of CBM will lower the energy intensity of technological processes at coal-fired power plants.