Energy and exergy analyses of power generation systems using biomass and coal co-firing

Coal-fired power plants are used worldwide for electricity production and provide over 42% of global electricity supply (International Energy Agency, 2010). However, emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, etc.) from coal combustion systems are a major environmental concern. Among these gases, CO2 is considered the most critical in terms of its contribution to global warming and coal-fired power plants account for 28% of global CO2 emissions (International Energy Agency, 2010). Various methods have been developed to mitigate these emissions, with biomass co-firing with coal cited as one of the least expensive options (Basu et al., 2011).