Coal is one of the true measures of the energy strength of the United States. One quarter of the world s coal reserves are found within the United States. The energy content of the nation s coal resources exceeds that of all the world s known recoverable oil. Coal is the workhorse of the nation s electric power industry, supplying more than half the electricity consumed by Americans. Carbon capture and storage needs to be a cornerstone of any effective post-2012 climate change regime. The world has to make fossil fuel use climate compatible if it is to meet its climate change objectives. -World Coal Institute on climate change -US Dept. of Energy Coal types Peat Lignite Bituminous Anthracite http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0701/es0701page01.cfm?chapter_no=07 Carboniferous Period, 360-290 million years ago Algae Flattened cell http://geology.com/articles/coal-through-a-microscope.shtml Charcoal 2 mm Wood fibers 1
Coal types: energy content http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1996/of96-092/comp/main.gif Coal types Carbon energy content of coal Moisture content of coal 2
Coal production: Increasing US demand 1200 Millions of tons 1000 800 600 400 200 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Coal consumption: Increasing world demand World Energy Demand, Mt oil equivalent Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge Coal production Source: EIA 3
Coal consumption Building 2x 500 MW plants/week Source: EIA Coal consumption World reserves US 27% Russia 17% China 13% 600 power plants, average 500 MW Data Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge Coal mining: Underground http://www.coalwoodwestvirginia.com/coal_mining.htm 4
Coal mining: Surface Strip mining or open pit mining Mountaintop removal / valley fill Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977) - requires the land be restored to its original contours - mining companies may receive a waiver if they can show that the leveled area will be developed for industrial/commercial purposes Issues - 25 tons removed overburden : 1 ton coal - Loss of habitat (wetlands) - Dust pollution - Acid mine drainage - 11,400 abandoned mines (US) - 20% of mines have been restored with residues removed Coal mining: Surface Mountain top removal Forests removed Explosives expose coal http://mountainjustice.org/facts/steps.php Coal mining: mountaintop removal and valley fill http://www.climatechange.umaine.edu/research/contrib/html/22.html 5
http://www.appvoices.org http://www.appvoices.org http://www.appvoices.org 6
http://www.appvoices.org Coal mining: Surface Strip mining or open pit mining Mountaintop removal / valley fill Issues - 25 tons overburden : 1 ton coal - Loss of habitat & wetlands - Dust pollution - Acid mine drainage - Liquid wastes stored in slurry impoundment -Arsenic, mercury, fine particles -Spill potential: 300 million gallon spill, 2000-11,400 abandoned mines (US) - 20% have been restored with residues removed Mountaintop Removal, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z0rzdepf6e&feature=related Trailer, Coal Country, http://www.appalachiamyhome.com/public/order.cfm Coal slurry spill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib8wqddz8x0 Coal power: TransAtla Centralia Coal bunker 70% local coal 1,340 MW 2 steam turbines 100 long, 600 tons Generator Waste heat Cooling loop Cooling tower: -500 tall -$200 million in SO 2 scrubbers -Cut SO 2 90% Pulverizing mill Condenser Filter Stack Boiler 3000C Open since 1971 275 employees today Toxic ash disposal 7
Coal power: TransAtla Centralia ~2 miles across ~8 miles long Coal power: TransAtla Centralia Canadian company Sub bituminous coal mine 7,155 acres disturbed 500 miners pre-2006 2 coal-fired units: 1,340 MW -5.5 millions tons coal/year 4 natural gas units: 248 MW 1 heat recovery steam generator (combined cycle) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008997025_coal07m.html Net generation: 10,478,711 MWh 8 million tons : CO 2 emissions 2006 -> 10% of WA s GHG emissions! 315 lbs : mercury emissions 2005 9,699 tons : NO x emissions 2006 http://www.power-technology.com/projects/centralia/specs.html Coal power: TransAtla Centralia Senate Bill 5769, April, 2011 Ending coal fired power 1 coal fired boiler will shut down 2020 1 coal fired boiler will shut down 2025 NO x pollution reduction in 2013 $30 million from TransAlta for energy efficiency projects $25 million from TransAlta for new energy technologies in WA state In exchange, building a new natural gas facility for 2020 8
Coal power: TransAtla Centralia Recent WA debate: Two major coal export facilities planned on the US west coast Mouth of the Columbia River and Bellingham For shipping to China 84 million tons/yr from Montana and Wyoming But just as Washington weans itself off coal, it could be positioned as the nation's leading exporter of the fossil fuel. Coal power: good and bad Coal power: good and bad We have a lot of it Unacceptable greenhouse gas emissions Average plant: ~500 MW 3.7 M tons CO 2 /yr (600,000 cars) 10,000 tons SO2/yr 500 tons PM/yr 10,200 tons NOx/yr 720 tons CO/yr 220 tons VOC/yr 170 lb Mg/yr 225 lb Ar/yr 114 lb Pb Source: Union of Concerned Scientists 9
Coal power: good and bad We have a lot of it Unacceptable greenhouse gas emissions Toxic pollution Acid rain Average plant: ~500 MW 3.7 M tons CO 2 /yr (600,000 cars) 10,000 tons SO2/yr 500 tons PM/yr 10,200 tons NOx/yr 720 tons CO/yr 220 tons VOC/yr 170 lb Mg/yr 225 lb Ar/yr 114 lb Pb Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Coal power: good and bad We have a lot of it Unacceptable greenhouse gas emissions Toxic pollution Acid rain Industrial smog Average plant: ~500 MW 3.7 M tons CO 2 /yr (600,000 cars) 10,000 tons SO2/yr 500 tons PM/yr 10,200 tons NOx/yr 720 tons CO/yr 220 tons VOC/yr 170 lb Mg/yr 225 lb Ar/yr 114 lb Pb Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Coal power: good and bad We have a lot of it Unacceptable greenhouse gas emissions Toxic pollution Acid rain Industrial smog Heavy metals Alteration of landscapes Average plant: ~500 MW 3.7 M tons CO 2 /yr (600,000 cars) 10,000 tons SO2/yr 500 tons PM/yr 10,200 tons NOx/yr 720 tons CO/yr 220 tons VOC/yr 170 lb Mg/yr 225 lb Ar/yr 114 lb Pb Source: Union of Concerned Scientists 10
Coal power: good and bad Fly ash Waste products Slurry impoundments Coal ash (fly ash or bottom ash) Components: Silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, dioxins, PAH, uranium, thorium Landfill or recycled into cement (~40%) 72 million tons/year Bottom ash Issues: Small radiation exposure Potential water quality pollution Slurry or ash spills Source: EPA, Coal Ash Association Coal power Largest coal ash slide Collapsed retaining wall Tennessee, 2008 400 acres, 6 deep 2.6 million cubic yards Damaged 12 houses Water quality concern http://www.tva.gov/emergency/photo_gallery/pages/123002.htm Coal s future: Improved efficiency Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge 11
Coal s future: Improved efficiency Convert coal to cleaner burning fuels Synthetic natural gas (SNG or syngas) Liquid fuels (methanol or synthetic gasoline) Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge Coal s future: Clean coal 1. Capture CO 2 when coal is burned -Retrofit power stations - Post combustion capture - Oxyfuel combustion -Build Integrated gasification combined cycle facilities - Pre combustion capture Coal s future: Clean coal 2. Store liquefied CO 2 > 800 m underground Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge 12
Coal s future: Clean coal 2. Store liquefied CO 2 > 800 m underground Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge Coal s future: Clean coal Carbon Capture and Sequestration Zero-emissions coal Source: IPCC Special Report: CCS Summary for Policymakers Coal s future: Clean coal Carbon Capture and Sequestration Zero-emissions coal 1 million tons/yr Source: IPCC Special Report: CCS Summary for Policymakers 13
Coal s future: Clean coal Project Country MW Expected start up ZeroGen Australia 50 2010 Hydrogen Energy Australia 500 2011 GreenGen China 250 2018 Dynamis Europe 250 2012 RWE Germany 400-450 2014 Vattenfall Germany 250 2020 Progressive Energy UK 800 2011 Powerfuel UK 900 Post-2012 E.On UK 450 Post-2012 E.On UK 2x800 2015 RWE npower UK 1000 2016 Carson Project USA 500 2011 FutureGen USA 275 2012 No successful, large scale CCS projects Source: IPCC Special Report: CCS Summary for Policymakers Methane... in use today Nonrenewable: Natural gas Mostly hydrocarbons in gas phase found above reservoirs of crude oil (thermogenic) CH 4[g] + 2 O 2[g]! CO 2[g] + 2 H 2 O [l] + 891 kj Typical Composition Refined and sold separately Refined and sold separately Methane Ethane Butane Carbon Dioxide Oxygen Nitrogen Hydrogen sulfide Rare gases CH 4 C 2 H 6 Propane C 3 H 8 0-20% C 4 H 10 CO 2 O 2 N 2 H 2 S A, He, Ne, Xe 70-90% 0-8% 0-0.2% 0-5% 0-5% trace Source: Natural Gas Supply Association Phytoplankton Zooplankton Oil and gas migration T, P Maturation from heavy oils to light gases Source: Paleontological Research Institute 14
Methane... in use today Nonrenewable: Natural gas Mostly hydrocarbons in gas phase found above reservoirs of crude oil (thermogenic) Renewable: Archaea Methanogens give off methane during anaerobic decomposition of organic matter Methane... in use today Nonrenewable: Natural gas Mostly hydrocarbons in gas phase found above reservoirs of crude oil (thermogenic) Renewable: Archaea Methanogens give off methane during anaerobic decomposition of organic matter Landfills (380 projects in the US) Methane... in use today Nonrenewable: Natural gas Mostly hydrocarbons in gas phase found above reservoirs of crude oil (thermogenic) Renewable: Archaea Methanogens give off methane during anaerobic decomposition of organic matter Landfills (380 projects in the US) Livestock waste 15
Methane... in use today Nonrenewable: Natural gas Mostly hydrocarbons in gas phase found above reservoirs of crude oil (thermogenic) Renewable: Archaea Methanogens give off methane during anaerobic decomposition of organic matter Landfills (380 projects in the US) Livestock waste Human waste 4000 biogas vehicles in Sweden! Natural Gas: Reserves Natural Gas: Reserves Global reserves should last 65-125 years Increasing demand expected to rise by 50% in 20 years World Uses 104 trillion ft 3 US (2008) Uses 23 trillion ft 3 (16%) Produces 19 trillion ft 3 Growth: 32 trillion ft 3 by 2020 Source: EIA 16
Natural Gas: Uses 60 million homes for heating, cooling 100,000 NGVs on the road manufacture/process steel, food, paper, plastic, glass, machinery Source: Natural Gas Supply Association Natural Gas: clean Natural Gas: distribution Drilled, compressed, processed Underground storage in oil/gas wells or salt beds Mercaptan added to detect odor 280,000 miles 1,000,000 miles Compressor stations every 50-60 miles to boost pressure 17
Natural Gas: distribution http://www.gov.state.ak.us/agia/ Methane... in use today Renewable: Livestock waste Biodigester: air tight chamber at 68F CH 4 (55-80%) and CO 2 25,000-100,000 ga. manure/day 500 dairy cows = 8000 ga. manure/day Methanogens Generate waste gas (we collect for energy) Decompose organic waste (we collect for fertilizer) Reduce water pollution Decease fecal coliform by 99% Decreases nutrients by 25% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chk_qfjkyg8 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june06/globalwarming_06-07.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/aidg/3256997622/ http://www.habmigern2003.info/biogas/baron-digester/baron-digester.htm Methane... in use today Renewable: Landfill gas to energy Landfills release gas continually 50% CH 4, 45% CO 2 Drill wells into the landfill Capture gas before it escapes to the atmosphere 18
Methane... in use tomorrow? Nonrenewable: Coalbed methane Coal is a reservoir rock of natural gas Methane... in use tomorrow? Nonrenewable: Shale gas 97.2 trillion ft 3 of shale gas Drill and fracture around the borehole to release gas Uneconomical so far Remember: US uses 21 trillion ft 3 per year Source: Schlumberger Methane... in use tomorrow? Nonrenewable: Methane hydrates 350-3500 yr supply Methane surrounded by water molecules Solid at water depths >300 m or cold temperatures 1 m 3 gas hydrate = 164 m 3 natural gas 19
Methane... in use tomorrow? 1300 trillion ft 3 Remember: US uses 21 trillion ft 3 per year Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Methane... in use tomorrow? Challenging to get to... Methane... in use tomorrow? Source: USGS 20
Methane... the gateway to hydrogen? Hydrogen can be produced from CH 4 by reformation Biogas will create an infrastructure for hydrogen 21