1. Coal in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities
Presented at the Electricity 2020 Forum
Grand Rapids, MN
Dr. Michael L. Jones
Senior Research Advisor
Energy & Environmental Research Center
Grand Forks, ND
February 14, 2007

2. Humanity’s Top Ten Problems for the Next 50 Years
1. ENERGY
2. WATER
3. FOOD
4. ENVIRONMENT
5. POVERTY
6. TERRORISM AND WAR
7. DISEASE
8. EDUCATION
9. DEMOCRACY
10. POPULATION
billion People
billion People
Richard Smalley, 2003 (1996 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry)

3. Colin J. Campbell, 2004

4. “Hubbert’s Peak” by Kenneth Deffeyes (2001)
M. King Hubbert predicted U.S. oil production would peak in 1970.
It did.
The same approach predicts world oil production will peak within this decade.
It will.
The days of cheap energy from oil will then be gone.

5. Richard Smalley, 2003 (1996 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry)

6. Richard Smalley, 2003

7. Source: U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Energy Resources
Source: U.S. Department of Defense

8. Bottom Line – New Middle East
Source: U.S. Department of Defense

9. Opportunities for Coal
Production of transportation fuels
Liquids
Hydrogen
Electricity production

10. Transportation Fuels -- Challenges
Oil resources – finite resource
Alternative fuels (including electricity)
Hydrogen
Production
Storage
Distribution
Coal – production of hydrogen, liquid fuels and electricity
CO2 sequestration

11. Electricity Generation – Challenges
Zero-emission power plants that produce electricity, chemicals, and liquid fuels cheaply
Massive long distance electricity transmission
Electrical storage

12. Coal’s Resurgence in Electric Power Generation

13. Generation Options Conventional combustion Coal gasification (IGCC)
Indirectly fired combined cycle

14. Conventional Combustion
Operational issues
Environmental performance
NOx
Particulate
SOx
Metals
CO2

15. Ash Deposition Phenomena in Utility Boilers
1. Coal Particles
2. Combustion
3. Early Combustion Products
4. Slag Deposit Formation
5. High-Temperature Fouling Deposit Formation
6. Low-Temperature Fouling Deposit Formation
Coal +
Air
1800°– 2400°F
1200°– 1800°F
2000°– 3000°F
Slag ‚
ƒ-„ … †

16. Environmental Issues
SOx
NOx
Particulate
Metals (Hg)
CO2

17. Coal Gasification

18. IGCC Diagram
Source: National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy

19. Opportunities for Low-Rank Coal Gasification
High reactivity – Lower temperature gasification processes – transport reactor
High sodium and calcium – Catalyzes gasification rates
High moisture – Water for steam gasification, shift reaction, increased gas flow

20. What Is the Best Conversion Technology?
Key Fuel Properties
Moisture content
Coal reactivity
Caking properties
Inorganic materials – Ash/slag and trace elements
Sulfur levels
Oxygen content

21. Lignite Gasification to Produce Liquid Fuels, Hydrogen, Electricity, and Carbon Dioxide
Modified after Gray and others, 2004.

22. Fate and Impacts of Impurities on Gasification and Gas Cleanup6 4
Cyclone 5
Coal Preparation and
Upgrading/Slurry 7 2 3
Recycle
Sulfur Removal
And Ammonia
Removal
Gas Purification
and Separation
Syngas Cooler
Hot Gas Filter 1
Coal/Biomass/Pet Coke
Gasifier 1 2 3 4 5
Gasification
Fuel Reactivity
Partitioning (Vapor, Liquid, Solid)
Slag Flow
Bed/Ash Reaction
Deposition
Gas Processing/
Cooling
Condensation
Transport
Deposition Growth
and Removal
Hot Gas Cleanup
Particulate Hg Na
Trace elements
Halogens
Quartz
Fuel Prep and Upgrading
Slurry Prep
Drying
Mineral Removal
Blending
Calcite
Na+
Ca++
Pyrite 7 6
Sulfur Removal
H2S --Metal Oxide
Impact of Na, K
Trace elements Hg
Halogens
Gas Purification and Separation
Shift Reactions
Separation and
Purification

23. Examples of Current Experience
Eastman Chemical Company's coal gasification plant
High-sulfur Appalachian bituminous – 1300 ton/day
Acetyl chemicals
Over 22 years of operation
Tampa Electric's Polk Power Station
GE Energy (Texaco) gasifier – slurry-fed, single-stage, entrained flow
Pittsburgh Basin and Appalachian coals, petcoke, and biomass – 2200 ton/day
Medium-Btu syngas fired to produce electricity – 250 MWe
DOE Clean Coal Project – 4- to 5-year demonstration
Commercial operation began in 1995
SG Solutions – Wabash River
E-gas (ConocoPhillips) slurry-fed, two-stage, entrained-flow gasifier
Illinois Basin coal, petroleum coke
262 MWe (net) of electricity
GE Energy (Texaco) gasifiers – slurry-fed, single-stage, entrained-flow quench gasifier

24. Examples of Current Experience (cont.)
Shell Gasification (Nuon) Buggenum – Netherlands
Shell gasifier – entrained flow with dry fuel feeding and recycled syngas cooling
Range of bituminous coals
253 MWe of electricity
Operation since 1998
Elcogas – Puertollano, Spain
Prenflo gasifier entrained-flow system with dry fuel feeding
Coal and petroleum coke
298 MW of electricity
Began operating in 1998
Schwarze Pumpe Gmbh
Future Energy Gmbh – entrained flow with dry dry feeding cooling screen design
130 MWth brown coal before 1992; waste oil slurries after
Operation since 1984

25. Examples of Current Experience (cont.)
Piñon Pine IGCC Power Project (Sierra Pacific)
KRW fluidized-bed gasifier
Utah bituminous, 0.5%–0.9% sulfur coal – 90 MW
DOE Clean Coal Project – Problems during start-up and project was not completed
HTW Demonstration Berrenrath, Germany
High-temperature Winkler fluidized bed with dry feed
140 MWth of dried brown coal
Methanol production
Started operation in 1986, shutdown in 1997 with 67,000 hours
GTI U-Gas Process
Shanghai, China
1000 TPD, 8 gasifier low-pressure using bituminous coal
Fuel gas for coke oven
Started operation in 1995, currently moth-balled 70,000 hours

26. Advantages of Indirectly Fired Combined Cycles (IFCC)
Operations very similar to pc-fired boilers
Nearer-term technology
Higher efficiencies – 45% when firing coal, over 50% with NG supplement
Half the water usage of a typical steam-based plant because of the Brayton cycle
Slagging heat exchangers are self-cleaning
Much lower loss of heat transfer due to fouling
Much less overconstruction

27. IFCC Schematic Coal Air Steam Generator Turbine Gas Hot Air
Efficiency, 47.3%
GT output, 161 MW
ST Output, 150 MW
Coal/Gas 65%/35%
Generator
Steam
Turbine
Ash
Slag
Coal
Gas
Radiant
Air Heater
Convective
Selective Noncatalytic
Reactor Zone
Heat Recovery
Steam Generator
FGD
Hot Air
Air
Key:
FGD: Flue Gas Desulfurization
GT: Gas Turbine
ST: Steam Turbine

28. Technologies for CO2 Capture
Absorption
Adsorption
Membranes
Cryogenics
Others
Caustics
Rectisol
Others
Physical
Selexol
Amines
Chemical
Inorganic Membrane
Metallic
Polysulphone
Polyamide
Organic Membrane
Ceramics
Others
Cellulose derivatives
Chemical Looping
CO2 Hydrate
Microbial
/Algae
Electro-chemical
Pump
Others
Chemical
(TSA)
Zeolites
ACs
Physical
(PSA,TSA)
Metal Oxides
Si/Al Gels

29. Methods for Reducing GHG Emissions
Renewable energy technologies
Advanced high-efficiency energy systems
Improve efficiency on existing systems
Reduce consumption of energy
Sequester GHG emissions

30. PCOR Partnership Phase II Goals
Increase public understanding of CO2 sequestration
Perform field validation tests that develop:
- MM&V protocols
- Regional sequestration strategies
- Best separation/source matches
- Regulatory and permitting strategies
- Environmental benefits and risks
- Information needed to monetize C credits
Continued regional characterization
Regional partnership program integration

31. Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships
The Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Program represents more than 216 organizations in 40 states, three Indian nations, and four Canadian provinces.

32. Partnership Benefits (cont.)
Breaking news on our four regional field verification activities.

33. Summary Clean coal will be part of our future energy mix.
Coal gasification will be one option.
CO2 capture and sequestration will be part of future coal development activities.
A range of power generation options will be used to meet our future energy needs.

34. Contact Information
Energy & Environmental Research Center
University of North Dakota
15 North 23rd Street
Stop 9018
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Telephone No. (701)
Fax No. (701)
Dr. Michael L. Jones
Senior Research Advisor
(701)