Combined cycle configuration has the ability to use the waste heat from the gas turbine exhaust gas using the heat recovery steam generator for the bottoming steam cycle. In the current study, a natural gas-fired combined cycle with indirectly fired heating for additional work output is investigated for configurations with and without reheat combustor (RHC) in the gas turbine. The mass flow rate of coal for the indirect-firing mode in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustor is estimated based on fixed natural gas input for the gas turbine combustion chamber (GTCC). The effects of pressure ratio, gas turbine inlet temperature, inlet temperatures to the air compressor and to the GTCC on the overall cycle performance of the combined cycle configuration are analysed. The combined cycle efficiency increases with pressure ratio up to the optimum value. Both efficiency and net work output for the combined cycle increase with gas turbine inlet temperature. The efficiency decreases with increase in the air compressor inlet temperature. The indirect firing of coal shows reduced use with increase in the turbine inlet temperature due to increase in the use of natural gas. There is little variation in the efficiency with increase in GTCC inlet temperature resulting in increased use of coal. The combined cycle having the two-stage gas turbine with RHC has significantly higher efficiency and net work output compared with the cycle without RHC. The exergetic efficiency also increases with increase in the gas turbine inlet temperature. The exergy destruction is highest for the CFB combustor followed by the GTCC. The analyses show that the indirectly fired mode of the combined cycle offers better performance and opportunities for additional net work output by using solid fuels (coal in this case). Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.