Talking on the fifth annual India Coal Convention in New Delhi, FutureCoal CEO Michelle Manook mentioned, “Authorities and finance insurance policies, which embrace a ‘cancel coal’ mantra, are short-sighted and undermine the very ambitions we search to attain as a worldwide neighborhood.”
Previously generally known as the World Coal Affiliation, FutureCoal: The International Alliance for Sustainable Coal is a multi-lateral group representing the complete coal worth chain together with coal producers, suppliers, and shoppers corresponding to energy, metal, cement, and aluminum business firms. The group’s rebranding was launched this week.
“The truth is, coal shall be right here for the foreseeable future, and the way forward for coal past combustion good points regular momentum. As a coal worth chain, we have to rework, unite, and be sure that a accountable narrative informs international coverage setting,” mentioned Manook (Determine 1). “We have to reframe this debate to the truth. There isn’t a professional cause for coal to not take part in any vitality transition. Abated coal options exist and so they have to be embraced.”
FutureCoal says coal’s enduring presence acknowledges nations’ autonomy in choosing vitality sources that meet their particular wants, complementing renewables throughout intermittent durations and serving as an important issue for coal-dependent nations to make sure vitality safety, affordability, and reliability. The group factors to the worldwide vitality disaster of 2021–2023 as a working example for the significance of coal. FutureCoal famous the resilience of coal as an influence era supply mitigated extreme penalties that would have escalated with out coal as a backup. “The closure of European industrial operations and the chance of populations struggling via unaffordable vitality prices or no vitality in any respect exemplifies the essential position of coal,” FutureCoal mentioned.
Based on the Worldwide Vitality Company’s (IEA’s) most up-to-date Coal Market Replace, issued in July 2023, a brand new file international excessive of 10,440 TWh of electrical energy was generated from coal in 2022. This determine represented 36% of the world’s complete electrical energy era. Whereas many business observers imagine coal use within the electrical energy sector will decline considerably in coming a long time, FutureCoal says some specialists predict coal will stay the only largest supply of electrical energy worldwide via 2040. “Regardless of the rising emphasis on renewable vitality sources, coal stays a key participant attributable to its abundance, cost-effectiveness, and established infrastructure in lots of nations,” the group mentioned.
Coal does play an vital position within the vitality provide of greater than 80 nations, not solely by way of electrical energy, but additionally for warmth manufacturing. In lots of nations, coal is used for residential heating throughout colder months from district heating programs provided by coal-fired mixed warmth and energy (CHP) crops. FutureCoal says whereas the main target is commonly on electrical energy era, “it’s vital to keep in mind that coal’s contribution to international warmth provide can be important.”
FutureCoal mentioned coal abatement applied sciences can seize as much as 99% of some dangerous emissions. Present coal abatement applied sciences embrace a spread of environment friendly options that help each energy and warmth utilities. These embrace high-efficiency and low-emissions (HELE) crops corresponding to ultrasupercritical (USC) models; CHP services; built-in gasification mixed cycle (IGCC)-based know-how; and co-firing coal with biomass.
To attain excessive charges of emission management, sulfur dioxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) can all be captured to varied levels, and the waste byproducts reused in business and development. Different emissions, corresponding to heavy metals, can be captured to a big extent and safely managed.
Whereas FutureCoal doesn’t focus enormously on carbon seize and storage (CCS) or carbon seize, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), it does promote a Sustainable Coal Stewardship (SCS) program. SCS has a powerful give attention to abated coal innovation and applied sciences. Underneath SCS, abated coal has a broader definition. “It encompasses a spread of accountable practices, emissions controls, effectivity good points, and superior coal alternatives,” FutureCoal says.
Many energy business insiders imagine hydrogen (H2) is poised to play a pivotal position within the transition to cleaner vitality assets. Surprisingly, FutureCoal says hydrogen will be produce extra cheaply with coal than via different sources. “The price of producing hydrogen from coal with CCUS [is] thrice cheaper than producing low-carbon hydrogen via water electrolysis,” the group mentioned. Particularly, it mentioned electrolysis prices from $3 to $7.50 per kilogram (kg) of H2 produced, whereas the IEA reportedly pegs the typical value of manufacturing hydrogen from coal with CCUS at $1.40–$3.10/kg H2. In the meantime, FutureCoal mentioned one other supply means that coal gasification with CCUS usually prices $1.90−$2.40/kg H2, with prices as little as $1.60/kg H2 in China.
And clear coal-to-hydrogen initiatives aren’t only a idea. The world’s largest coal-to-hydrogen venture was positioned in operation in Yulin, central Shaanxi, China, in September final 12 months. The plant boasts a complete hydrogen manufacturing capability of 350,000 tonnes yearly and is predicted to cut back carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 220,000 tonnes yearly. “The conversion of coal to hydrogen represents an revolutionary software of coal abatement applied sciences. It concurrently assists coal-dependent nations in attaining their growth targets and decarbonization ambitions,” FutureCoal mentioned.
“A misinformed coal narrative, misinforms the market. This narrative have to be corrected if we’re to attain international financial and sustainability targets,” Manook mentioned.
—Aaron Larson is POWER’s govt editor (@POWERmagazine).
