Coal for Power Generation - Can The Coming Environmental Disaster in China Be Managed?
"Coal makes us sick.
" This famous quote from none other than US Democratic leader Harry Reid may not be entirely accurate, but it captures the mood of many environmentalists.
The fundamental message is that the use of coal for power generation should be de-emphasized and greener, less -polluting sources should be used in its place.
But with so much of the world's power generation capability based on coal, what is the outlook for meaningful reductions in the use of coal? Will the utilization of coal be reduced in favor of less polluting or renewable alternatives? The answer, in a word, is "No.
" According to the New York Times, the world can expect greater use of coal-much greater-between now and the year 2050.
Why? The answer can also be given in a single word: "China.
" Power generation in China is heavily dependent on coal, and that dependence will not change in the foreseeable future, In fact, in will increase.
Economic growth in China is, and will continue to be, powered by burning coal, and the outlook is for substantially increased coal use.
China is continuing to build coal-based power generation facilities at an astounding rate, currently commissioning a new coal-fired power plant almost every week.
Not all countries are increasing the usage of coal for power generation.
Europe and the USA are decreasing their reliance on coal in favor of renewable energy sources.
The problem for clean energy advocates is that usage of coal in China will more than double over the next 40 years.
No matter how quickly other countries adopt alternative, renewable energy sources, the continued growth of coal-burning power plants in China will swamp efforts to reduce the reliance on coal elsewhere in the world.
Since everyone believes that China will increase its usage of coal due to the lower cost of coal compared to other power generation sources, is there a solution to the problem of the dramatically increased greenhouse gas emissions that will inevitably result from China's policy?Maybe.
If the carbon dioxide that is generated could be scrubbed and trapped from the exhaust of the power plants rather than allowed to be spewed into the atmosphere, mitigation of the greenhouse gas problem would be possible.
That is why carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology may be the only hope to keep emissions in check.
Of course, carbon capture and sequestration also adds cost.
Research efforts are underway around the world to demonstrate CCS technology that is practical and more economical, but even the best methods will add costs of at least $30-50 per ton of CO2 emitted, which would increase the cost of power generation by about 30%.
Perhaps the most egregious aspect of China's energy policy is that China is unwilling to do the work to develop cost-effective CCS technology itself.
The country's leaders are on record as saying that the rest of the world should pay to develop this technology and then offer it to China.
With the fastest-growing economy on earth, there is no reason China should not assume its own responsibilities to develop CCS technology.
Either that or develop alternatives to coal.
" This famous quote from none other than US Democratic leader Harry Reid may not be entirely accurate, but it captures the mood of many environmentalists.
The fundamental message is that the use of coal for power generation should be de-emphasized and greener, less -polluting sources should be used in its place.
But with so much of the world's power generation capability based on coal, what is the outlook for meaningful reductions in the use of coal? Will the utilization of coal be reduced in favor of less polluting or renewable alternatives? The answer, in a word, is "No.
" According to the New York Times, the world can expect greater use of coal-much greater-between now and the year 2050.
Why? The answer can also be given in a single word: "China.
" Power generation in China is heavily dependent on coal, and that dependence will not change in the foreseeable future, In fact, in will increase.
Economic growth in China is, and will continue to be, powered by burning coal, and the outlook is for substantially increased coal use.
China is continuing to build coal-based power generation facilities at an astounding rate, currently commissioning a new coal-fired power plant almost every week.
Not all countries are increasing the usage of coal for power generation.
Europe and the USA are decreasing their reliance on coal in favor of renewable energy sources.
The problem for clean energy advocates is that usage of coal in China will more than double over the next 40 years.
No matter how quickly other countries adopt alternative, renewable energy sources, the continued growth of coal-burning power plants in China will swamp efforts to reduce the reliance on coal elsewhere in the world.
Since everyone believes that China will increase its usage of coal due to the lower cost of coal compared to other power generation sources, is there a solution to the problem of the dramatically increased greenhouse gas emissions that will inevitably result from China's policy?Maybe.
If the carbon dioxide that is generated could be scrubbed and trapped from the exhaust of the power plants rather than allowed to be spewed into the atmosphere, mitigation of the greenhouse gas problem would be possible.
That is why carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology may be the only hope to keep emissions in check.
Of course, carbon capture and sequestration also adds cost.
Research efforts are underway around the world to demonstrate CCS technology that is practical and more economical, but even the best methods will add costs of at least $30-50 per ton of CO2 emitted, which would increase the cost of power generation by about 30%.
Perhaps the most egregious aspect of China's energy policy is that China is unwilling to do the work to develop cost-effective CCS technology itself.
The country's leaders are on record as saying that the rest of the world should pay to develop this technology and then offer it to China.
With the fastest-growing economy on earth, there is no reason China should not assume its own responsibilities to develop CCS technology.
Either that or develop alternatives to coal.
Source...