Sarah Stein

January 5, 2010

Researchers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) have proposed a natural-gas power plant system that would utilize solid-oxide fuel cells to generate power without burning fuel. The system would not release any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but would create a stream of mostly pure carbon dioxide. Any excesses could be easily captured and stored using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. Because the system would not require additional technology, but combines existing and developing technologies in a novel configuration, it offers natural gas power generation at costs comparable to or less than existing plants. Additionally, the study claims that the use of the solid-oxide fuel cells can turn heat into electricity at a higher efficiency rate than that of traditional combustion. Another benefit of the new system is that the fuel cell based system would produce, rather than consume, clean water that can be treated and used as potable water. At the current time there is no full-scale plant developed, but M.I.T. reports that several small units are successfully utilizing the technology.

Natural gas is considered to be a greener fuel source than coal and other fossil fuels. As a resource, natural gas is plentiful with current global reserves expected to last 60 years at current consumption levels. Natural gas constitutes about 22% of electric generation fuel sources. However, natural gas is still a fossil fuel available in limited quantities. Therefore, many may not feel that the development of this technology is a step away from fossil fuel dependence. Regardless, the application of CCS technologies to electric generation may prove to be a valuable option for decreasing carbon emissions until non-fossil fuel alternatives are deployed on a larger scale.

Sources:

Energy Information Administration, "Net Generation By Energy Source: Electric Utilities" (Nov. 13, 2009), http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table1_2.html (last visited 12/4/09).

Madrigal, Alexis, Wired Science, Green Fuel-Cell Makeover for Future Power Plants (Dec. 9, 2009), http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/solid-oxide-fuel-cells/ (last visited 1/4/2009).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, A greener way to get electricity from natural gas (Dec. 3, 2009), http://web.mit.edu/press/2009/solid-oxide.html (last visited 12/4/2009).

U.S. Dept. of Energy, Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants: Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity Final Report (May 2007), available at http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/pubs/Bituminous%20Baseline_Final%20Report.pdf.

U.S. Dept. of Energy – Fossil Energy: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology (2009), http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/fuelcells/fuelcells_solidoxide.html (last visited 12/4/09).