Coal

THE BIG PICTURE (Infographic): Capital Costs

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) in February 2020 published capital costs and performance characteristic estimates for 25 new electric power generating technologies. These estimates come from global engineering and design firm Sargent & Lundy (S&L), which the EIA commissioned to help accurately reflect the changing cost of new power generation technologies for the Annual Energy Outlook 2020.

According to S&L, the estimates are developed based on information about similar facilities recently built or are under development in the U.S. and abroad. “Developing the characteristics of each generating technology included the specification of representative plant sizes, configurations, major equipment, and emission controls. Sargent & Lundy’s cost assessment included the estimation of overnight capital costs, construction lead times, and contingencies as well as fixed and variable operating costs,” it said. S&L also reviewed recent market trends for the reference technologies and its extensive background in power plant design and experience in performing similar cost and performance assessments. A more detailed explanation is available in its report.

Interactive Graphic

View the interactive version of this month’s infographic on Tableau Public here.

How Costs Compare by Fuel Type

The Data Table

Technology	Description	Net Nominal Capacity (kW)	Net Nominal Heat Rate (Btu/Kwh)	Capital Cost ($/kW)	Fixed O&M Cost ($/kW-year)	Variable O&M Cost ($/MWh)	NO_x (lb/MMBtu)	SO₂ (lb/MMBtu)	CO₂ (lb/MMBtu))
650-MW USC Coal without Carbon Capture—Greenfield	1 x 735 MW Gross	650	8638	3676	40.58	4.50	0.06	0.09	206
650-MW USC Coal, 30% Carbon Capture	1 x 769 MW Gross	650	9751	4558	54.30	7.08	0.06	0.09	144
650-MW USC Coal, 90% Carbon Capture	1 x 831 MW Gross	650	12507	5876	59.54	10.98	0.06	0.09	20.6
Internal Combustion Engines	4 x 5.6 MW	21	8295	1810	35.16	5.69	0.02	0	117
Combustion Turbines—Simple Cycle (2 x LM6000)	2 x LM6000	105	9124	1175	16.30	4.7	0.09	0.00	117
Combustion Turbines—Simple Cycle (1 x GW7FA)	1 x GE 7FA	237	9905	713	7.00	4.5	0.03	0.00	117
Combined-Cycle 2x2x1, No Carbon Capture	GE 7HA.02	1083	6370	958	12.20	1.87	0.0075	0.00	117
Combined-Cycle 1x1x1, Single Shaft, No Carbon Capture	H Class	418	6431	1084	14.1	2.55	0.0075	0.00	117
Combined-Cycle 1x1x1, Single Shaft, with 90% Carbon Capture	H-Class	377	7124	2481	27.6	5.84	0.0075	0.00	11.7
Fuel Cell	34 x 300 kW Gross	10	6469	6700	30.78	0.59	0.0002	0	117
Advanced Nuclear (Brownfield)	2 x AP1000	2156	10608	6041	121.64	2.37	0	0	0
Small Modular Reactor Nuclear Power Plant	12 x 50-MW Small Modular Reactor	600	10046	6191	95.00	3.00	0	0	0
50-MW Biomass Plant	Bubbling Fluidized Bed	50	13300	4097	125.72	4.83	0.08	0.03	206
10% Biomass Co-Fire Retrofit	300-MW PC Boiler	30	+1.5%	705	25.57	1.90
Geothermal	Binary Cycle	50	N/A	2521	128.544	1.16	0	0	0
Internal Combustion Engines—Landfill Gas	4 x 9.1 MW	35.6	8513	1563	20.1	6.2	0.02	0	117
Hydroelectric Power Plant	New Stream Reach Development	100	N/A	5316	29.86	0	0	0	0
200-MWh Battery Energy Storage System	50 MW \| 200 MWh	50	N/A	1389	24.8	0	0	0	0
100-MWh Battery Energy Storage System	50 MW \| 100 MWh	50	N/A	845	12.9	0	0	0	0
Onshore Wind—Large Plant Footprint: Great Plains Region	200 MW \| 2.82 MW WTG	200	N/A	1265	26.34	0	0	0	0
Onshore Wind—Small Plant Footprint: Coastal Region	50 MW \| 2.78 MW WTG	50	N/A	1677	35.14	0	0	0	0
Fixed-bottom Offshore Wind: Monopile Foundations	400 MW \| 10 MW WTG	400	N/A	4375	110	0	0	0	0
Concentrating Solar Power Tower	with Molten Salt Thermal Storage	115	N/A	7221	85.4	0	0	0	0
Solar PV w/ Single Axis Tracking	150 MW_AC	150	N/A	1313	15.25	0	0	0	0
Solar PV with Single Axis Tracking + Battery Storage	150 MW_AC Solar 50 MW \| 200 MWh Storage	150	N/A	1755	31.27	0	0	0	0

Source: Capital Cost and Performance Characteristic Estimates for Utility Scale Electric Power Generating Technologies, EIA, February 2020. —Sonal Patel is a POWER senior associate editor (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).