Helena Joyce
Burning coal releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, and mercury. These emissions contribute to global warming, climate change, and air pollution, which have devastating impacts on human health, ambient air quality, local ecosystems, and the environment. To reduce coal pollution, various strategies and technologies are being employed, including the development of clean coal technologies, carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon-neutral fuels, and energy-efficient solutions. Additionally, governments and organizations are implementing regulations, incentives, and initiatives to mitigate coal pollution and promote the transition to cleaner energy sources.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Clean coal technologies | Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) |
| Gasification | |
| Zero emissions | |
| Carbon-neutral fuels | |
| Air pollution control strategies | Energy-efficient technologies |
| Selective catalytic reduction | |
| Wet scrubbers | |
| Baghouse | |
| Flue gas desulfurization equipment | |
| Amine scrubbing | |
| Carbon capture technology | |
| Oxy-fuel combustion | |
| Gas-powered vehicles | |
| Renewable energy | |
| Energy conservation | |
| Low-sulfur coal | |
| Refined coal |
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What You'll Learn
Using carbon capture and storage technologies
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are an important method of reducing coal pollution. CCS is a process that separates carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial installations before it is released into the atmosphere, then transports it to a long-term storage location. This technology has been used since the mid-20th century, mainly to purify natural gas and increase oil production.
CCS can be applied to existing coal and natural gas power plants, enabling them to continue operating while reducing emissions. One example of a coal-based plant using carbon-capture technology is Vattenfall's Schwarze Pumpe power station in Germany, which captures CO2 and acid rain-producing pollutants, separates them, and compresses the CO2 into a liquid. The liquid CO2 can then be injected into depleted natural gas fields or other geological formations for permanent storage, also known as sequestration.
CCS technologies can also be retrofitted to existing plants, as seen in the Taizhou coal power plant in China, which has a large-scale carbon capture unit with a capacity of 0.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Another example is the Callide Power Station, which retrofitted a 30 MWth existing PC-fired power plant to operate in oxy-fuel mode.
While CCS has the potential to significantly reduce emissions, it also comes with challenges. Capturing and compressing CO2 requires a lot of energy, increasing the fuel needs of coal-fired power plants by 25-40%. This results in higher electricity costs for consumers. Additionally, CCS requires significant financial investments, and there are concerns that it may divert resources from other climate change solutions.
However, the economic feasibility of CCS can be improved by implementing a "carbon tax" on companies emitting CO2, providing an incentive for them to adopt CCS technology. As CCS technologies advance, costs may decrease, making them a more viable solution for reducing coal pollution.
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Improving energy efficiency
Firstly, the adoption of advanced technologies plays a vital role in improving energy efficiency and reducing coal pollution. Governments and the coal industry should work together to develop and deploy less polluting and more efficient technologies. This includes investing in carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies, which aim to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Examples of CCUS in practice include the Schwarze Pumpe power station in Germany, which captures and separates CO2 and acid rain-producing pollutants, and the Taizhou coal-fired power plant in China, which is equipped with carbon capture technology.
Secondly, improving the efficiency of coal-fired power plants can lead to significant reductions in coal consumption and pollution. Researchers in China are focusing on increasing the efficiency of burning coal to maximise power output relative to coal input. By enhancing the efficiency of power plants, less coal needs to be burned to generate the same amount of electricity, resulting in decreased coal usage and reduced emissions.
Additionally, the coal industry has been exploring methods to refine coal and remove impurities, such as moisture and pollutants, before combustion. This process, known as coal-upgrading technology, results in a refined coal product that is cleaner and more efficient to burn. By removing impurities, the environmental impact of coal combustion is reduced, contributing to improved air quality and reduced pollution.
Furthermore, the implementation of local pollution standards and regulations is essential to improving energy efficiency and reducing coal pollution. Regulations such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act in the United States mandate industries to minimise pollutants released into the air and water. These regulations encourage the development and utilisation of cleaner technologies, such as flue gas desulfurization equipment (scrubbers), which remove sulfur and other impurities from coal smoke before it exits the smokestacks.
Lastly, the coal industry can improve energy efficiency by reducing the thermal loss or parasitic load during the combustion process. One method is to burn the pulverised coal with pure oxygen instead of air, making it easier and cheaper to separate CO2 from the exhaust fumes. This approach not only improves energy efficiency but also contributes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
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Developing clean coal technologies
Clean coal technologies (CCTs) are an important way to reduce coal pollution. They are a new generation of advanced coal utilisation processes that aim to enhance the efficiency and environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation, and use.
One example of CCT is coal washing, which removes unwanted minerals by mixing crushed coal with a liquid and allowing the impurities to separate and settle. Coal washing can remove impurities such as pyritic sulfur, Pb, As, Hg, Ni, Sb, Se, and Cr, improving the heating value of the coal. Another example is coal gasification, which produces a concentrated and pressurised carbon dioxide stream that can be separated and stored. This technology has the potential to achieve "zero emissions", or at least extremely low emissions of conventional coal pollutants.
The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology is another CCT that offers the lowest environmental impact and the highest efficiency among emerging CCTs. IGCC systems convert coal to a fuel gas at a temperature of 1500-1900 °C, which is then cleaned to remove particulates and sulfur compounds before combustion in a combined cycle gas turbine. Carbon conversion in IGCC systems is nearly 100%, and ash is removed as a stable and non-leachable slag.
Another important CCT is carbon capture and storage (CCS), which catches and sequesters carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants. CCS can be achieved through flue-gas separation, which removes CO2 with a solvent, strips it off with steam, and condenses the steam into a concentrated stream. CO2 can also be captured through the amine scrubbing process, which treats carbon dioxide as a pollutant and absorbs it into an amine solution. Once captured, CO2 can be stored underground through geological sequestration or injected into deep oceans.
While CCTs show promise in reducing coal pollution, they also face challenges. For example, CCS technologies are costly and energy-intensive, and their commercialisation must consider economic competitiveness. Additionally, CO2 storage methods require careful preparation and monitoring to avoid causing environmental problems that outweigh the benefits of containment.
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Reducing nitrogen oxide emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a significant contributor to smog and respiratory illnesses. They also react to form nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Coal typically contains between 0.5% and 3% nitrogen. During gasification, most of the nitrogen in the coal is converted into harmless nitrogen gas (N2). However, small amounts of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) are produced and must be removed.
One method to reduce NOx emissions from syngas-fired turbines is to use a diluent to lower the flame temperature, such as nitrogen or steam. This can reduce NOx emissions levels to approximately 15 ppm (at 15% O2). Another method is selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which is considered the best available add-on NOx control for stationary combustion turbines. SCR technology selectively reduces NOx emissions by injecting NH3 into the exhaust gas upstream of a catalyst. The NOx reacts with NH3 and O2 to form N2 and H2O.
In the United States, the coal industry and the government have cooperated to develop technologies that can remove impurities, such as nitrogen oxides, from coal and make coal more energy-efficient, reducing the amount burned per unit of energy produced. Additionally, carbon capture and storage technologies are being explored to reduce global carbon dioxide levels.
One example of a coal-based plant using carbon-capture technology is the Schwarze Pumpe power station in Germany, built by Siemens. The facility captures CO2 and acid rain-producing pollutants, separates them, and compresses the CO2 into a liquid. The plan is to inject the CO2 into depleted natural gas fields or other geological formations. While this technology is not considered a final solution for CO2 reduction, it provides an achievable near-term option.
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Investing in renewable energy sources
Fossil fuels, such as coal, are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. Therefore, it is imperative to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable.
Renewable energy sources are available in abundance all around the world, provided by the sun, wind, water, waste, and heat from the Earth. They emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air and are replenished by nature. Renewable energy technologies have rapidly dropping prices, with the cost of electricity from solar power falling by 85% between 2010 and 2020, and the costs of onshore and offshore wind energy falling by 56% and 48% respectively. This makes renewable energy more attractive, especially to low- and middle-income countries.
To accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, public-private partnerships can be formed to finance the replacement of coal with renewables. Well-designed policies can also help ease the transition for coal miners and workers whose livelihoods depend on coal. For example, the United Kingdom implemented a carbon pricing scheme that helped reduce its dependence on coal by 12.4 percentage points from 2013 to 2018. Similarly, government subsidies in Spain favoring renewable electricity generation helped reduce coal dependence between 2005 and 2010.
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Frequently asked questions
Coal-fired power plants release carbon dioxide, mercury, nitrogen oxides, and other emissions that can harm human health and the environment.
There are several ways to reduce coal pollution, including:
- Carbon capture and storage technologies: This involves capturing CO2 and separating it from other pollutants, then compressing it into a liquid or injecting it underground for permanent storage.
- Clean coal technologies: This field is moving towards coal gasification, which makes it easier to separate CO2 from exhaust fumes and can result in extremely low emissions.
- Improving energy efficiency: This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is cost-effective for businesses.
- Managing and reducing emissions: Leading businesses are taking steps to understand, manage, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by setting long-term targets.
Some specific examples of coal pollution reduction technologies include:
- Vattenfall's Schwarze Pumpe power station in Germany, which captures and separates CO2 and other pollutants.
- The Callide Power Station, which has retrofitted an existing plant to operate in oxy-fuel mode.
- The Tianjin "GreenGen" coal-burning power plant in China, which gasifies coal prior to combustion to separate CO2 from exhaust fumes.
One major challenge is bringing down the cost of capture and storage technology so that "clean coal" can be a competitive alternative to other energy sources. Additionally, the aging of coal power plant infrastructure is not always widely discussed, and older power plants may contribute significantly to pollution and health issues.
