Coal's Future Might Lie in Gasification

While coal may be unpopular in the eyes of investors and regulators, the power industry is looking for cleaner ways to continue to use the ore that provides half of the power that keeps the lights on.

Gasifying coal and capturing the CO2 is seen as a cleaner alternative to today's coal burning process. While the DOE no longer wants to fund an uber "clean coal" power plant, researchers are hopeful that while costly, gasification would be viable in the upcoming era of carbon caps.

Scientists at the Department of Energy's  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory say that based on their testing, coal gasification is a worthwhile technology. “Coal gasification offers one of the most versatile and clean ways to convert coal into electricity, hydrogen and other valuable energy products,” said PNNL staff scientist George Muntean, in a speech at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) today.

"If we plan to use our domestic supply of coal to produce energy, and do so in a way that does not intensify atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, gasification is critical," he said.

GE, which signed a deal on a $100 million gasification plant with the University of Wyoming, is among one of many power companies that despite the DOE's hedging, will continue to pursue coal gasification.

What to with that carbon once it is siphoned off remains a serious challenge. Sending it via pipeline to be used for commercial purposes or burying it underground are very expensive.

Another formidable challenge to gasification plants are the "refractories" that line the inside of gasifiers, according to PNNL.

&The relining of a gasifier costs approximately $1 million and requires three to six weeks of downtime.

Ouch, lose a few weeks of time nearly once a year? That's no way to run a plant.