Integrating diabatic CAES with post-combustion capture to mitigate combustion emissions: case study and regional sensitivity

• Integration of post-combustion carbon capture in DCAES to mitigate GHG emissions. • A case study based on real wind power output data over a typical 24-hour period. • Comprehensive multi-objective evaluation of the proposed low-carbon system. • Analysis of GHG emissions by different charging sources and geographic regions. • PCC integration reduces life cycle GHG emissions by 66.9 % when wind-powered. Energy storage technology is essential for addressing the intermittency of renewable energy, particularly wind power. Diabatic compressed air energy storage (DCAES) technology is relatively mature, however, it suffers from the drawback of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by fuel combustion. In this study, an integrated system that combines post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) with DCAES is proposed to decrease GHG emissions without purchasing outsource steam. A case study over a typical 24-hour period shows that the integrated system can ensure the stability of the power output from wind power to the grid during peak electricity usage period. The integration of PCC reduces the power output of DCAES during the discharge phase by 23.6 %, while the levelized cost of electricity rises from 55.63 $/MWh to 88.77 $/MWh. Otherwise, PCC subsystem contributes 12.7 % of the whole exergy destruction of the integrated system. These indicates that the cost of the PCC integration is acceptable from the thermodynamic and economic standing. Whereas, when wind power is used as the charging source, PCC integration can reduce life cycle GHG emissions by 66.9 % of the output electricity and the effect of GHG emission reduction is affected by region. This work provides valuable insights into achieving low-carbon operation of DCAES systems.