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Clean coal technology

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Clean coal technology is a term used to describe technologies being developed that aim to reduce the pullution generated by coal energy generation. Some of the techniques used to accomplish this include chemically washing minerals and impurities from the coal, gasification (see also IGCC), treating the flue gases with steam to remove sulfur dioxide, carbon capture and storage technologies to capture the carbon dioxide from the flue gas and dewatering lower rank coals (brown coals) to improve the calorific value, and thus the efficiency of the conversion into electricity.

Clean coal technology usually addresses atmospheric problems resulting from burning coal. Historically, the primary focus was on sulfur dioxide and particulates, since it is the most important gas in the causation of acid rain. More recent focus has been on carbon dioxide (due to its impact on global warming) as well as other pollutants.While many scientists believe these technologies are part of the solution, concerns exist regarding the economic viability and the timeframe of delivery, and the costs and viability of disposing of removed carbon and other toxic matter. The technology does not address byproducts such as fly ash, mercury, arsenic, or sulfur.

Coal, which is primarily used for the generation of electricity, is the second largest domestic contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the USA. The public has become more concerned about global warming which has led to new legislation. The coal industry has put more than $50 billion towards the development and deployment of clean coal technologies, including carbon capture and storage. While no commercial scale coal fired power station in the US capture more than small amounts of CO2, many pilot plants exist and larger installations are planned.

The world's first "clean coal" power plant went on-line in September 2008 in Spremberg, Germany. The plant has been built by the Swedish firm Vattenfall. The plant is state owned because of the high costs of this technology, since private investors are only willing to invest in other sources such as nuclear, solar and wind. The facility captures CO2 and acid rain producing sulfides, separates them, and compresses the CO2 into a liquid state. Plans are to inject the CO2 into depleted natural gas fields or other geological formations. Vattenfall says they consider this "a bridge" to renewal energy technologies, and not a permanent solution for CO2 reduction

Clean coal and the environment

Further information: Environmental effects of coal, mountaintop removal mining, and Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill

According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the burning of coal, a fossil fuel, is a major contributor to climate change and global warming. (See the UN IPCC Fourth Assessment Report). As 25.5% of the world's electrical generation in 2004 was from coal-fired generation (see World energy resources and consumption), reaching the carbon dioxide reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol will require modifications to how coal is utilized.

An oxyfuel CCS power plant operation filters the exhaust fumes so as to make clean CO² before it can be stored in an undergound layer

Some in the coal industry and the U.S. Department of Energy refer to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as the latest in "clean coal" technologies. The "clean coal" terminology is generally not endorsed by professionals in CCS, and is actively opposed by environmental organizations that favor CCS. CCS is a means to capture carbon dioxide from any source, compress it to a dense liquid-like state, and inject and permanently store it underground. Currently, there are more than 80 carbon capture and sequestration projects underway in the United States. All components of CCS technology have been used for decades in conjunction with enhanced oil recovery and other applications; commercial-scale CCS is currently being tested in the U.S. and other countries. Proposed CCS sites are subjected to extensive investigation and monitoring to avoid potential hazards, which could include leakage of sequestered CO2 to the atmosphere, induced geological instability, or contamination of aquifers used for drinking water supplies.

Supporters of clean coal use the Great Plains Synfuels plant to support the technical feasibility of carbon dioxide sequestration. Carbon dioxide from the coal gasification is shipped to Canada where it is injected into the ground to aid in oil recovery. Supporters acknowledge that economics can be problematic for carbon sequestration.

See also

Notes

  1. http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=first-oxyfuel-clean-coal-power-plan-2008-09-04
  2. "The Future of Coal". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  3. http://wvgazette.com/News/201009080954?page=2&build=cache
  4. Pearce, Fred (2008-10-30). "Time to bury the 'clean coal' myth". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  5. "Carbon Capture and Storage". University of Edinburgh, School of Geosciences. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  6. "Carbon Capture Plans get Reality Check". Discovery Channel. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  7. http://pulse.pharmacy.arizona.edu/resources/powerful_explorations/mercury_arsenic_coal.pdf
  8. "U.S. Coal Supply and Demand". Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  9. "Estimates of Monthly CO2 Emissions and Associated C/ Values from Fossil-Fuel Consumption in the U.S.A." Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  10. "ACCCE Details More than 80 CO2 Capture and Storage Projects". America's Power. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  11. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100831-714716.html
  12. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-15-06.asp
  13. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-05/clean-coal-project-in-illinois-gets-1-billion-from-obama-administration.html
  14. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tampa-electric-to-capture-and-sequester-carbon-dioxide-at-its-polk-power-station-as-part-of-a-us-department-of-energy-funded-demonstration-project-2010-09-09?reflink=MW_news_stmp
  15. http://www.physorg.com/news173429638.html
  16. ^ http://discovermagazine.com/2009/feb/25-can-clean-coal-actually-work/?searchterm=clean%20coal "Can Clean Coal Actually Work?" article in Feb. 2009 issue, page 18, Retrieved 2009-05-11
  17. The Economist The illusion of clean coal
  18. "CRS Issue Brief for Congress - IB89005: Global Climate Change". National Council for Science and the Environment. August 13, 2001. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  19. "ACCCE Details More than 80 CO2 Capture and Storage Projects". America's Power. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  20. "AWWA warns Congress about CO2 injection concerns". American Water Works Association. July 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  21. "'Clean coal' push concerns environmental activists". Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. October 16, 2005. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  22. "Carbonomics: How to Fix the Climate and Charge it to OPEC". SSRN. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

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