Underground Coal Gasification:

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Underground Coal Gasification

• A game-changer for climate protection?

3rd China Energy and Environment Summit
(CEES) Beijing, PRC August 20-21, 2010 Mike
Fowler Climate Technology Innovation
Coordinator Clean Air Task Force
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Clean Air Task Force is a non-profit organization
dedicated to reducing atmospheric pollution
through research, advocacy, and private sector
collaboration.
MAIN OFFICE 18 Tremont Street Suite 530 Boston, MA 02108 [phone] info_at_catf.us www.catf.us www.coaltransition.us www.aceiii.org OTHER LOCATIONS Beijing, China Brunswick, ME Carbondale, IL Columbus, OH Washington, DC
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Outline

• About CATF
• The need for carbon capture and storage (CCS)
• The great barrier for CCS cost
• The potential benefits of underground coal
  gasification (UCG)
• The cost of coal power with UCG with CCS could be
  less then cost of conventional coal without CCS
• Other benefits include reduced mining, reduced
  drinking water consumption, reduced emissions of
  sulfur dioxide, etc.
• Importance of environmental management for UCG
• Protection of groundwater from contamination

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About CCS at the Clean Air Task Force (CATF)

• CATF is an energy and environment NGO with
  headquarters in the United States. Our work
  addresses
• Greenhouse gases and climate change
• SO2, NOx, particulate matter, and toxic air
  pollution
• Related environmental issues
• We are a small specialty organization founded in
  1996
• 20 technical staff, policy and business experts,
  and attorneys
• CCS is a core focus for CATF. Our CCS work
  includes
• Expert workshops
• Innovation policy design
• Facilitation of large pioneer CCS projects
• Costs of CCS will limit speed and extent of
  deployment
• Underground coal gasification could change the
  game
• Potentially significant cost reductions for coal
  power with CCS
• Potential for low-cost substitute natural gas
  (methane)

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Background 1 Huge quantities of low-carbon
electricity will be needed
With electric vehicles?
Will the world converge here?
Source CATF (2009) from DOE/EIA (2007)
Slide 5
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Background 1 Huge quantities of low-carbon
electricity will be needed
World electricity demand , with electric vehicles?
Source CATF (2009) from DOE/EIA (2007)
Slide 6
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Background 2 CCS will be essential to meet this
demand
Studies by MIT, Stanford, EPRI, PNNL, NCAR, and
University of Maryland suggest substantial roles
for fossil fules with CCS, renewables, and
nuclear power
MIT Model
Stanford/EPRI Model
PNNL Model
Source United States Climate Change Science
Program, 2007
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Background 3 Costs of adding CCS to new power
projects are significant

• Relative cost of electricity (LCOE) estimate for
  fossil power generation (Nth plant US basis)
  CCS could add 80

80
Source DOE/NETL (2007)
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UCG could change the game for fossil power with
CCS

• UCG can produces inexpensive raw synthesis gas
• 1 - 3/MMBtu (see GasTech, 2007 ENN, 2009)
• UCG can enables high efficiency power generation
  when integrated with combined cycle gas turbine
  (CCT)
• 45.4 HHV w/o CCS (AMMA, 2002)
• Technology is commercially available to clean up
  syngas and removal CO2 at manageable cost
• Result Potentially game-changing CCS costs

? Oxidant
? Syngas
Potable Aquifer
Rock/Clay
Rock (e.g., shale)
Coal
Rock (e.g., shale)
Rock
Image CATF (2009)
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UCG with CCS could compete with conventional coal
without CCS

• Cost of UCG integrated with 80 CO2 removal and
  syngas combustion in CCGT could be LESS THEN
  conventional coal without CCS
• Cost of UCG to produce substitute natural gas
  with CCS also could be very attractive,
  especially in China

Estimate by the NorthBridge Group and CATF based
on proprietary data for a proposed UCG project in
North America
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UCG could also significantly increase domestic
energy supplies

• In the US, UCG could increase coal supply by
  300-400. The same could be true of China
  (though this requires study)

Source DOE/NETL Presentation, September, 2008
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Commercial activity is accelerating
Region/Trial Length (days) Gasified (tonnes) Depth Period
FSR/Various 1000s 15 million Shallow 1930s
China/abandoned mines n/d n/d n/d 1950s
US/Hanna 343 14,800 Shallow 1970s
US/Hoe Creek 117 5,920 Shallow 1970s
US/Princetown 12 320 Intermediate 1970s
US/Rawlins 106 10,000 Shallow 1970s
US/ Tenn. Colony 197 4,500 Shallow 1970s
US/Centralia Tono 29 1,800 Shallow 1980s
US/RM1 150 14,150 Shallow 1980s
EU/Thulin 67 11 Deep 1980s
EU/El Tremedal 12 240 Deep 1990s
US/Carbon County (n/d) 800 Deep 1990s
NZ/Huntley 13 80 Shallow 1990s
AUS/Chinchilla (R1) 900 32,000 Shallow 1990s
AUS/Chinchilla (R3/R4) Active 2,000 Shallow 2008
SA/Eskom Active (n/d) Deep 2007
CHN/ENN Group Active 25,000 Intermediate 2007
AUS/Carbon Energy Active (n/d) Intermediate 2008
CAN/Swan Hills Active (n/d) Deep 2009
AUS/Cougar Energy Active (n/d) Intermediate 3/2010
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Many more projects are planned around the world

• US (Alaska) CIRI/Laurus
• Canada (Alberta) Laurus
• South Africa - Secunda (Sasol)
• Vietnam - Red River Delta (Linc)
• Pakistan - Thar Coal Field (2x)
• Chile - Mulpun (Carbon Energy)
• UK 11 separate UCG licenses issued recently
• India - Multiple sites
• US PRB, US Midwest, New Zealand,

Carbon Energy UCG site near Dalby, Queensland,
Australia, November, 2008. The reactor was active
200m below this spot. Photo by Mike Fowler.
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Possible advantage of UCG Reduced water
consumption
Even with partial CCS, UCG and a CCGT could use
less than half the raw water of a conventional
coal power plant without CCS, and less than an
IGCC without CCS.
Item UCG-CCGT, no CCS UCG-CCGT, Partial CCS IGCC, no CCS NGCC, no CCS PC-sub, no CCS SCPC, no CCS
Raw Water Usage (gpm/MWe) 2.9 4.9 6 4.5 11.3 10
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Slide 14
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Possible advantage of UCG Reduced mercury
emissions

• Carbon beds have demonstrated 99.9 mercury
  removal on coal syngas
• Carbon beds are much less expensive than
  activated carbon injection on conventional coal
  plants (1/10th on cost of electricity basis)
• Carbon beds produce less waste than activated
  carbon injection on conventional coal
• UCG could take advantage of this technology to
  reduce mercury

Carbon beds for mercury removal at Eastman coal
gasification facility in TN
Slide 15
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Possible advantage of UCG Reduce air pollution
emissions
Technology exists for UCG to approach natural gas
Source CATF from various sources
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Possible advantage of UCG Use less surface land
Source Carbon Energy (2009)
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But UCG is a complex coupled chemical and
geophysical process


Producer
Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown) Example Gas Composition ( vol, Queensland Site, Air-Blown)
H2 CO CH4 CO2 N2 H2O HHV MJ/m3
18.0 6.0 7.0 16.0 35.6 16.5 6.6
Injector
Heat
Gas Losses
Coal Bed
Tars oils
Water
1000 1650 F
400 1000 F
gt1650 F
? Advances 2 ft/day
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Source Adapted
from DOE/NETL Presentation, September, 2008, and
AMMA, 2008
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And in China, as elsewhere, protection of
groundwater is vital

• Site selection is key
• Coal at intermediate or greater depth
• Preferably below potentially viable water
  resources
• Isolated from surrounding strata (good roof and
  floor, horizontal isolation)
• See DOE/LLNL guidelines (in preparation)
• so is site operation
• Safer linking methods (e.g., in-seam drilling)
• Eliminate/minimize gas loss
• Maintain gasification pressure below local
  hydrostatic pressure
• Real-time monitoring of pressure, pH, trace
  compounds in surrounding strata
• Real-time monitoring/verification of mass balance
  closure
• Geophysical/geochemical monitoring, process
  simulation, and control
• and proper module closure is important
• Limit postburn pyrolysis and steam/pressure
  buildup
• Clean the cavern

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An environmental success in early US program
Rocky Mountain 1

• RM1 1987-1988 near Hanna, WY
• Project included GRI, DOE, Amoco Production, WRI,
  and EPRI
• Environmental protection focus
• Thinner, deeper coal seam (Hanna No.1, 30 ft
  thick, gt350 ft deep)
• Stable overburden and underburden
• Detailed pre-test geologic and hydrologic
  characterization
• Hydrologic sampling and monitoring during and
  after the burn
• Operational control
• Post-burn cavity venting and flushing
• Result No water resource damage

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Sources Boysen et al (1998), Davis (2008)
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Thank you!
Mike Fowler Climate Technology Innovation Coordinator Clean Air Task Force 18 Tremont Street, Suite 530 Boston, MA 02108 [phone] ext. 12 (voice) [phone] (fax) mfowler_at_catf.us www.catf.us