Repowering existing coal asset fleets potentially saves up to 35% of upfront costs compared to equivalent new clean energy plants, claims the Repower Initiative. This will enable countries to capitalise on existing infrastructure, such as turbines or grid connectors.
A new whitepaper supported by HSBC proposes “repowering” coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) for use as heat stores or grid interconnection points for renewable energy. According to the report, released on June 6, these options are more sustainable than reconfiguring CFPPs to burn alternative fuels such as biomass, ammonia or hydrogen.
The majority of CFPP retrofit projects to date have followed the coal to natural gas pathway, reads the report. “Natural gas burns more cleanly than coal but still emits unacceptable levels of emissions when combusted.”
