Methods and systems for syngas production and for efficient, flexible energy generation

1. A method for producing syngas comprising hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO), the method comprising:

introducing a gasifier input stream to a gasifier, the gasifier input stream comprising oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 );

in the gasifier, gasifying a carbonaceous fuel in the presence of the oxygen (O 2 ) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to produce a combustible gas;

combusting the gas to generate exhaust gases;

passing the exhaust gases through at least one turbine to generate power and to produce an output stream comprising carbon dioxide (CO 2 );

supplying, to a high-temperature co-electrolysis (HTCE) unit, a first input stream comprising water (H 2 O) and a portion of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) of the output stream;

supplying, to the HTCE unit, a second input stream comprising another portion of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) of the output stream;

in the HTCE unit, reducing, by co-electrolysis, both the water (H 2 O) and the portion of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to produce the oxygen (O 2 ) and the syngas comprising the hydrogen (H 2 ) and the carbon monoxide (CO); and

transporting the oxygen (O 2 ) and excess carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the HTCE unit to the gasifier as the gasifier input stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising powering the HTCE unit using electrical power generated by at least one nuclear reactor.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising supplying the water (H 2 O) of the first input stream from the at least one nuclear reactor.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing at least a portion of the electrical power generated by the at least one nuclear reactor to a power grid.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one nuclear reactor comprises a plurality of small modular reactors (SMRs).

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the power generated by the at least one turbine to a power grid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein all heat for operation of the HTCE unit is supplied by the water (H 2 O) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) introduced to the HTCE unit.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein all the oxygen (O 2 ) introduced to the gasifier is the oxygen (O 2 ) produced from the HTCE unit.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

powering the HTCE unit using electrical power generated by at least one nuclear reactor; and

providing, to a power grid, at least a portion of the power generated by the at least one turbine and at least a portion of the electrical power generated by the at least one nuclear reactor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising powering the HTCE unit with electrical power supplied by an electricity-generating sub-system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first input stream comprising the water (H 2 O) and the portion of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) comprises water output from the electricity-generating sub-system.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising supplying the syngas to a metal reduction reactor.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein gasifying a carbonaceous fuel comprises gasifying coal.

14. A system for producing syngas comprising hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) and for generating electrical power, the system comprising:

a high-temperature co-electrolysis (HTCE) unit;

at least one nuclear reactor configured to provide electrical power to the HTCE unit and configured to provide steam (H 2 O) to the HTCE unit;

an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant;

an oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stream line in communication with both the HTCE unit and the IGCC power plant; and

another carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stream line in communication with both the HTCE unit and the IGCC power plant.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a water separation unit operatively following the IGCC power plant and configured to separate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) output by the IGCC from water output by the IGCC.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stream line exits the HTCE unit at an anode side of the HTCE unit.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the another carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stream line enters the HTCE unit proximate a cathode side of the HTCE unit.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the IGCC power plant is not in operative communication with an air separation unit.

19. A method for producing syngas comprising hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO), the method comprising:

introducing an input stream comprising water (H 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to a high-temperature co-electrolysis (HTCE) unit;

introducing a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sweep gas to the HTCE unit;

in the HTCE unit, reducing both the water (H 2 O) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) of the input stream to form the syngas comprising the hydrogen (H 2 ) and the carbon monoxide and to form oxygen (O 2 );

sweeping the oxygen (O 2 ) away from the HTCE unit using the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sweep gas;

introducing the oxygen (O 2 ) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sweep gas to a combustion sub-system;

in the combustion sub-system, combusting a carbonaceous fuel in the presence of the oxygen (O 2 ) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sweep gas; and

power the HTCE unit with electrical power supplied by an electricity-generating sub-system.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the input stream comprising the water (H 2 O) and the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) comprises carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) output from the combustion sub-system; and

the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sweep gas comprises additional carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) output from the combustion sub-system.