1. Basic concept

The development of IGCC is linked to the significant development of the main components of an IGCC power plant in recent years, mainly combustion turbines and gasifiers.

In IGCC technology, the synthesis gas obtained from the gasification of a solid, viscous or liquid fuel is purified to eliminate dust and sulfur compounds, before being burned in a combustion turbine to produce electricity. A boiler recovers part of the sensible heat from the flue gases, producing steam. This steam is then used by a steam turbine to generate additional electricity.

The IGCC process offers a wide range of variants. These are expressed in terms of gasifier operation (fixed-bed, fluidized-bed or entrained), the oxidant used (air or oxygen) and gas purification systems. In addition, IGCC technology is characterized by the integration, to a greater or lesser...