|
Bookmarks on this page |
 |
 |
 |
Overview |
|
|
General Environmental Benefits |
|
|
Reducing Airborne Mercury Emissions |
|
|
Potential for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage |
|
|
One Pathway to a Future Hydrogen Economy |
|
|
Accelerating Commercial Powerplant Deployment |
|
|
More Information |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overview |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New coal-based powerplants are more
efficient and generate less pollution than coal facilities built
a generation ago. The cleanest of the new "clean coal"
technologies is Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), a
process whereby coal is gasified before combustion.
|
|
|
|
Compared to other coal-based powerplants, IGCC plants produce
substantially lower levels of criteria air pollutants, consume
less water, generate fewer solid wastes, and use less coal. In
addition -- as Eastman Chemical Co. has proven at its
coal-to-chemicals facility in Tennessee -- gasification is readily amenable to cost-effective
mercury remediation. IGCC can also provide an economically
efficient pathway both for the removal and storage of carbon
dioxide (should such capture and sequestration be
required in the United States) and for the production of hydrogen. |
|
|
|
For a general discussion of the advantages of IGCC over other
energy options, the following documents are recommended: |
|
|
 |
IGCC's Environmental and Operational
Capabilities Today, David Denton (Eastman
Gasification Services), Gasification Technologies
Workshop, June 8, 2004 (21 pages).
 Summary |
|
|
|
|
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Technology -
Its Actual Application in Spain, Manuel Coca
(Elcogas), 2003, (96 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
The Future of Coal, Joe Chaisson (Clean Air Task
Force), 2003, (25 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
General Environmental Benefits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As outlined above, IGCC plants have numerous environmental
advantages over other clean coal technologies. These advantages
stem primarily from the fact that contaminants in IGCC plants
(e.g. sulfur dioxide, particulates, mercury, etc.) are
removed before the syngas goes to the combustion turbine.
Other coal-based technologies rely upon scrubbers and other
devices to remove the contaminants from post-combustion stack
gases. To learn more about the environmental benefits/advantages
of IGCC powerplants, see: |
|
|
|
|
Environmental Benefits of Clean Coal Technologies,
Alfred Mann, Adrian Radziwon, Mark Woods (all Parsons
Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc.), and Leo
Makovsky (National Energy Technology Laboratory), 20th
Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference,
September 15, 2003 (18 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Major Environmental Aspects of
Gasification-Based Power Generation Technologies,
Jay Ratafia-Brown, Lynn Manfredo, Jeff Hoffman, and
Massood Ramezan (all Science Applications International
Corp.), 2002, (270 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reducing Airborne
Mercury Emissions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury is
emitted into the atmosphere from coal-fired powerplants.
It is then precipitated out as rainfall,
ending up in streams and lakes.
The mercury often accumulates in fish to levels judged
hazardous to
pregnant women and children. As a result, many states
have issued "mercury in fish" advisories in recent
years.
|
|
|
|
There is an ongoing public policy debate as to
whether mercury emissions from coal-fired powerplants
should be regulated by the EPA and state authorities. Owners of existing coal plants
argue against such regulation on the grounds that
mercury removal techniques remain largely unproven and
extremely costly. |
|
|
|
Proponents of coal gasification do not make
such arguments. As Eastman Chemical Co. and others have
proven over several decades, it is possible to remove
90
percent or more of the volatile
mercury from a syngas stream. To learn more about the
cost-effective removal of mercury in IGCC facilities,
read: |
|
|
|
|
Monitoring and Removal of Mercury in a
Texaco IGCC Gasifier System, Raymond Steelem and
Jaleh Ghani (ChevronTexaco), John McDaniel (TECO
Energy), 2003 Gasification Technology Conference,
October 12, 2003 (9 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Cost of Mercury Removal from Coal-Based
IGCC Relative to a PC Plant, Michael Rutkowski, M.
Klett, and R. Maxwell (all Parsons Infrastructure and
Technology Group, Inc.), 2002 Gasification Technology
Conference, October 28, 2002 (26 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Potential for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There has been a vigorous debate in recent decades about whether
the combustion of fossil fuels is a factor in global climate
change. This debate has led many nations (but not the United
States) to embrace polices aimed at limiting the emission of
carbon dioxide and other so-called "greenhouse gases" from
electric powerplants and other sources. IGCC-based powerplants
have a distinct advantage over other coal-based technologies
when it comes to carbon dioxide capture and storage. For insight
on this particular topic, these documents are recommended: |
|
|
|
|
Carbon Sequestration and IGCC:
Partnership Technologies, Howard Herzog
(MIT), March 10, 2004
(19 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Summary of Recent IGCC Studies of CO2
Capture for Sequestration, Neville Holt and George
Booras (EPRI), Douglas Todd
(Process Power Plants), 2003 Gasification Technology
Conference, October 12, 2003 (9 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Pathway to a Future Hydrogen Economy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Many people believe that hydrogen will someday displace gasoline
as the primary fuel for automobiles and other vehicles. However,
many technical and economic impediments must be overcome before
such displacement is feasible. A principal challenge is the
cost-effective production of massive quantities of hydrogen.
IGCC may be one pathway to a hydrogen fuel future. See, for
example: |
|
|
|
|
Prospects for Hydrogen from Coal,
Anne-Gaelle Collot (IEA - Clean Coal Centre), December
2003, (76 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Fossil Fuels as a Source of Hydrogen:
Technology & Issues, David Gray and Glen Tomlinson (Mitretek
Systems), 20th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal
Conference, September 15, 2003 (4 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Hydrogen From Coal: The Road to a
Sustainable Energy Future, C. Miller, Edward Schmetz,
John Winslow, David Gray, Glen Tomlinson, John Anderson,
and Mark Ackiewicz, 20th Annual International Pittsburgh
Coal Conference, September 15, 2003 (22 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accelerating Commercial Powerplant Deployment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Although demonstration-scale coal-based IGCC powerplants have been operating
successfully in the United States and Europe for several years,
both regulated utilities and independent power producers have
been slow to embrace the technology. Given its superior
environmental benefits, it may be necessary and desirable for
Congress and state governments to provide incentives for the
rapid deployment of the next generation of IGCC-based commercial
powerplants. Three studies that provide an analysis of this
subject are: |
|
|
|
|
An Analysis of the Institutional
Challenges to Commercialization and Deployment of IGCC
technology in the U.S. Electric Industry... John
O'Brien and Joel Blau (Global-Change Associates), 2004
(112 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Coal-Based Integrated Coal Gasification
Combined Cycle: Market Penetration Recommendations and
Strategies, Richard Aiken, Kenneth Ditzel, Frank
Morra, and David Wilson (Booz Allen Hamilton), 2004
(100 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
Deploying IGCC in this Decade with
3Party Covenant Financing, William Rosenberg, Dwight
Alpern, and Michael Walker (Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University), 2004 (106 pages).
Summary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More Information |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The clean-energy.us information database contains numerous topics
that may be useful for federal, state, and local policymakers,
including: |
|
|
|
|
Technology Explanations - Gasification of Coal and Other
Hydrocarbons |
|
|
Technology Explanations - Integrated Gasification
Combined Cycle (IGCC) |
|
|
Development Trends - North America |
|
|
Project Financing - IGCC Market Penetration |
|
|
General Environmental Assessments |
|
|
Emissions and Residues - Criteria Air Pollutants |
|
|
Emissions and Residues - Airborne Mercury |
|
|
Emissions and Residues - Carbon Dioxide |
|
|
Projects in Commercial Operation - Eastman |
|
|
Projects in Commercial Operation - Polk |
|
|
Projects in Commercial Operation - Wabash River |
|
|
Projects in Commercial Operation - Great Plains |
|
|
Additional topics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
top of page |
|
|
