Performance and Emission Assessment of Solar-Assisted Feed-Water Heating in Steam Power Plants

Abstract

Recently, about 95% of Libya’s electricity is generated from fossil fuel–fired power plants. In recent years, the average efficiency of these thermal plants has shown a negative trend, underscoring the need for investment and research to enhance their performance. This paper examines the potential of integrating solar thermal energy to reheat the parallel feedwater at the Khoms steam power plant, with the aim of improving overall efficiency and reducing dependence on conventional fuels. A simulation model was developed using Aspen HYSYS and SAM software to analyze the system’s performance before and after solar integration. The results showed increased efficiency of solar-assisted plant achieved an overall efficiency of 42.6%, compared to 33.0% for the conventional system reduced fuel consumption and emissions, along with promising economic feasibility for the proposed system