Power plant and method of operation

A power plant arrangement, comprising:

• at least one main air compressor for compressing ambient air into a compressed ambient gas flow;
• an air separation unit configured to separate oxygen and nitrogen from ambient air, wherein the at least a first portion of the compressed ambient gas flow is passed through the air separation unit, an oxygen flow and a nitrogen flow are derived from the at least a first portion of the compressed ambient gas flow, and wherein the air separation unit is fluidly connected to a nitrogen storage unit and the nitrogen storage unit is configured to receive and store the nitrogen flow from the air separation unit;
• an oxidizer unit for receiving the oxygen flow from the air separation unit and at least a second portion of the compressed ambient gas flow from the at least one main air compressor, mixing the oxygen flow with the at least a second portion of the compressed ambient gas flow, and configured to deliver a compressed oxygen-rich gas flow to at least one gas turbine assembly;
• and
• the at least one gas turbine assembly, comprising:
• a turbine combustor, fluidly connected to the oxidizer unit, for mixing the compressed oxygen-rich gas flow with at least a first portion of a recirculated gas flow and a fuel stream to form a combustible mixture and for burning the combustible mixture and forming the recirculated gas flow;
• a turbine connected to the turbine combustor and to a turbine shaft, wherein the turbine is arranged to be driven by the recirculated gas flow from the turbine combustor;
• a turbine compressor, fluidly connected to the turbine combustor, and connected to the turbine shaft and being arranged to be driven thereby;
• a recirculation loop for recirculating the recirculated gas flow from the turbine to the turbine compressor;
• a recirculated gas flow extraction path for extracting at least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow from the at least one gas turbine assembly;
• and
• a gas separation system for receiving the at least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow from the recirculated gas flow extraction path and separating the at least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow into a nitrogen portion and a carbon dioxide portion, wherein the gas separation system comprises:
• a carbon monoxide catalyst, fluidly connected to the input of the gas separation system and configured to receive the at least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow, for converting oxygen and carbon monoxide in the at least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow into carbon dioxide and to produce an exhaust gas flow;
• a water condensation unit, fluidly connected to the output of the carbon monoxide catalyst, for removing water from the exhaust gas flow;
• and
• a carbon dioxide separation unit, fluidly connected to the output of the water condensation unit, for separating the carbon dioxide portion from the exhaust gas flow and producing a remaining exhaust gas flow;
• wherein the remaining exhaust gas flow is delivered to the nitrogen storage unit.