Much has been made of late about the benefits and/or viability of so-called clean coal technologies.  Indeed, in a national ad campaign the Reality Coalition has suggested that the aforementioned technology is an outright myth.  Yet depending on who you talk to,  the next decade may show these “clean coal” technologies will play a much larger role in electricity generation.

IGCC process (courtesy: Clean Coal Illinois)

Among these  “clean” technologies is the production of synthesis gas (Syngas) through a relatively new process called Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC).  In short, heating coal under pressure in an oxygen-restricted environment produces Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂), methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).  With the notable exception of CO₂, each of these products can be burned as fuel.  Methane is the chief component of natural gas.  Carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be burned in a gas turbine, or processed to produce liquid fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process.

The scientific consensus on CO₂ is that man-made carbon dioxide tops the list of global warming causes. Proponents of “clean coal” trumpet carbon capture and sequestration as a panacea; but it may be this line of thinking that has detractors and environmentalists up in arms.  While the science of Syngas technology is fairly well established, CO2 storage and sequestration is still an immerging technology, one we hope will gain ground given what we see as several notable obstacles.

CO2 capture & storage (courtesy: Total, S.A.)

But CO₂ storage, potentially an attractive option, often hinges upon certain geological criteria.  If this option is to be taken seriously, we must identify compatible carbon sinks and depleted oilfields capable of permanently and safely housing large volumes of CO₂. At an off shore undersea aquifer off Norway, for example, Statoil buries carbon dioxide extracted from natural gas to avoid paying pollution taxes to the Norwegian government.   And offshore storage, while effective, comes at a heavy cost both in terms of capital and energy efficiency.

What are the ways science can support these alternatives through supporting technologies?   Any working energy policy must be multi-tiered to be effective.  CO₂ capture will certainly have its place in the new energy economy.  And with clean coal, we believe that cooperation across industries is the only answer.  When these companies begin to share new, tested and available technologies, we believe coal and its derivates may truly provide a substantial source of clean energy in the future. www.swapsol.com