Zero emission coal: a future source of clean electric power and hydrogen
- Hans-Joachim
The pairing of two novel technologies may permit coal energy to satisfy a dramatically increasing world energy demand for the next few hundred years. This can be done while virtually eliminating not only airborne SO{sub x}, NO{sub x}, mercury and particulate emissions, but also the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). The Zero Emission Coal Alliance, a collaboration of approximately 20 international industrial and government entities is investigating these concepts with the objective of completing the first pilot plant within 5 years. Paradoxically, climate change was not the overriding consideration that drove the development of these inventions. The more important consideration was that, if world carbon use continues to accelerate at rates even close to those in the last century, carbon from fossil fuels will overwhelm the natural CO{sub 2} sinks. In this view, the 'Kyoto' objectives are almost meaningless and misdirect enormous resources - both human and financial. If a world population of 10 billion reaches a standard of living comaprable, on the average, to that of the US in 2000 (with similar carbon use), then world yearly CO{sub 2} emissions will be ten times their current level. Carbon (in the form of coal) is our most important energy resource. The Challenge is to find sustainable ways of using it.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 975643
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-01-3889; TRN: US201008%%369
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: "Submitted to: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Morocco, November 2001"
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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