CLEAN COAL POWER

Upgrade your coal, not your plant

WHAT IS CLEAN COAL?

• Clean coal is a concept for processes or approaches that mitigate emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that arise from the utilization of coal, mainly for electrical power generation, using clean coal technology.

PROS OF CLEAN COAL

• Abundant supply, concentrated in industrialized countries (US, Russia, China, India).
• Relatively inexpensive.
• Continuous power. Good utilization. High load factor.
• Substantial existing infrastructure. Mature industry.
• Can be made low carbon and clean with CCS and various scrubbers.

PROS CONT.

• Relatively low capital investment (compared to gas or nuclear).

CONS

• Clean coal is not carbon free.
• Significant energy penalties are incurred for sequestration.
• Sequestration is new, expensive and its ability to hold CO2 for long periods of time is unproven. Risk of accidental releases of large quantities of CO2.