Clean Coal: the real deal or smoke and mirrors 

Approaching the topic of coal as a serviceable fuel is fraught with the danger of severe criticism. So while the concept of "clean coal" has been a topic of debate and much controversy, and much is being done to reduce certain emissions associated with coal combustion, the term can be misleading and often a smokescreen to promote the continued use of coal without addressing the significant environmental impacts.

Clean coal generally refers to technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants, primarily by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). There are various innovative technologies used to achieve this goal. The descriptions are necessarily technical and complicated, and some come with a range of their own problems. But looking into this subject is important if we want to understand our options going forward.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS):

CCS involves capturing CO2 emissions from power plants and storing them underground. The captured CO2 is typically stored in geological formations such as depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers.

While CCS has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, there are challenges associated with its implementation, including: high costs, energy requirements, and the need for appropriate storage sites. Furthermore, CCS does not address other environmental concerns associated with coal mining and combustion, such as air pollution, water contamination, and the destruction of ecosystems.

High-Efficiency, Low-Emissions (HELE) Technologies:

HELE technologies aim to improve the efficiency of coal-fired power plants and reduce emissions of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter. These technologies include advanced combustion techniques, such as fluidised bed combustion and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems.

While HELE technologies can reduce certain pollutants, they do not address the fundamental issue of CO2 emissions, considered by many to be a serious contender for climate change.

·  It is important to note that despite these technological advancements, coal combustion still releases substantial amounts of CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere. The fact remains that both extraction and processing of coal have significant environmental and social impact, including land degradation, water pollution, and displacement of local communities.

The development of clean coal technologies will face several challenges

·  Financial constraints: A key factor remains that CCS technologies are expensive to implement and operate. The high costs associated with these technologies make them economically unviable compared to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, which have become more cost-competitive in recent years. As a result, the financial feasibility of clean coal projects is often brought into question.

·  Scale and infrastructure: Implementing clean coal technologies on a large scale would require significant investment in required infrastructure, including pipelines for CO2 transport and storage facilities. Building this infrastructure would take time, delaying widespread adoption and taking budgets further out of line.

·  Lifecycle emissions: Clean coal technologies primarily focus on reducing emissions during the combustion phase. However, the entire lifecycle of coal, from extraction to combustion and waste disposal, generates substantial emissions and environmental impacts. Clean coal technologies, whilst successful in one area, do not sufficiently address these broader environmental concerns.

A hard fact: there is limited impact on climate change

Even if clean coal technologies were widely implemented, the overall contribution to mitigating climate change could remain fairly limited. Achieving significant reductions in CO2 emissions would require not only the deployment of clean coal technologies in an interim capacity, but also the ultimate phasing out of coal as a key fuel, and a concerted focus on the transition to renewable energy sources.

While we must acknowledge there have been advancements aimed at reducing emissions from coal combustion, the emergence of cost-competitive renewable energy alternatives make it clear that a sustainable and low-carbon energy future lies in transitioning away from coal rather than relying on clean coal as a long-term solution.

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