Process for generating power including a combustion process

A process for generating heat or power, or both, comprising:

• providing a mixed conducting membrane unit comprising a mixed oxygen ion and electron conducting membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, wherein oxygen flows from the feed side to the permeate side of the membrane;
• supplying the feed side of the membrane with an air/exhaust mixture containing oxygen, nitrogen and CO2, wherein oxygen is removed from the air/exhaust mixture by the membrane, forming an oxygen-depleted exhaust gas containing nitrogen and CO2;
• combusting a mixture of a carbon containing fuel and oxygen/CO2/H2O containing gaseous mixture as an oxidant to form a sweep gas;
• supplying the permeate side of the conducting membrane with the sweep gas, wherein said sweep gas, as it is passed through the conducting membrane unit, picks up oxygen removed from the feed side, forming an oxygen-enriched CO2/H2O containing gaseous mixture which may be recycled as an oxidant in a subsequent combustion reaction;
• optionally combusting the oxygen-enriched CO2/H2O containing gaseous mixture to form a CO2/H2O containing exhaust gas, and
• feeding either the CO2/H2O containing exhaust gas or oxygen-enriched CO2/H2O containing gaseous mixture into a recovery system for heat or power, or both, thereby generating heat or power, or both.