εUCG™
& Greenhouse Effect
εUCG™ process is a
fossil fuel technology and as such must address concerns over
global warming. It does so in the following ways:
- The raw εUCG gas contains
CO2 in concentrations that vary depending on
process conditions and the choice of oxidant used. The gas
is produced under pressure and at a moderate temperature,
and easily lends itself to CO2 removal by a range
of standard methods, with low energy penalty and at a relatively
low cost.
- So captured and removed, CO2 can be permanently
stored (or sequestered) in the underground storage zones
created by coal extraction in the εUCG
operations. The energy penalty and relative cost of CO2
re-compression and sequestering are comparatively low. In
addition, CO2 can be injected into deep saline aquifers
and deeper coal seams, as well as used for enhanced recovery
of oil, natural gas and CBM.
- As in conventional IGCC, εUCG
gas can be used to generate electricity with a power island
efficiency as high as 55%, with the overall efficiency of
UCG-IGCC process reaching 43%. These efficiencies translate
into very low rates of greenhouse emissions per unit of
net power exported.
- As a result of the high efficiency and C02
capture and sequestration, the greenhouse gas emissions
of the UCG-IGCC plant can be reduced to a level 55% less
than those of a supercritical coal-fired plant and 25% less
than the emissions of an NGCC plant.
- In chemical manufacturing processes such as Fischer-Tropsch
syntheses and production of synthetic methane or fertilizers,
CO2 removal is a routine unit operation. Permanent
storage of CO2 in the εUCG
created permeable zones and other sinks will reduce significantly
greenhouse emissions of the overall process from the initial
coal conversion right through to the end product.
As a result, the εUCG technology
can produce syngas - a low-cost, low-carbon fuel for power
generation. It is also a low-cost, low-carbon feedstock for
chemical syntheses. In the immediate future, UCG-IGCC is capable
of playing a decisive role in meeting the challenges of the
global warming while increasing use of fossil fuel in the
energy supply mix.