Process magazine: June issue

Source: CSIRO
"The June 2009 issue of Process looks at a diverse range of projects that aim to improve the environmental, economic and social sustainability of Australia's minerals and coal industries."

Liquid transportation fuels from coal and biomass

source: National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
"Liquid fuels from biomass and coal have the potential to reduce petroleum fuel use and CO2 emissions in the U.S. transportation sector over the next 25 years, says a new report from the National Research Council. Even with abundant resources in biomass and coal, however, substantial investments in research, development, and commercial demonstration projects will be needed to produce these alternative liquid fuels in an environmentally conscious way, and at a level that could impact U.S. dependence on imported oil."

The clean coal smoke screen

Source: American Progress Association
"The article examines the discrepancy between the clean coal rhetoric of utility companies, and their paltry investment in clean coal technology."

The true cost of coal

Source: Greenpeace
"Today, coal is used to produce nearly 40% of the world’s electricity. However, burning coal is one of the most harmful practices on the planet. It causes irreparable damage to the environment, people’s health and communities around the world. The coal industry isn’t paying for the damage it causes, but the world at large is. It’s this cost – the true cost of coal – that this report reveals, showing and quantifying its effects on people and the environment around the world."

Coal power in a warming world

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
"CCS is still an emerging technology. It has the potential to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from coal plants, but it also faces many challenges. In its current form the technology would greatly increase the cost of building and running coal plants while greatly reducing their power output. In addition, careful selection and monitoring of geologic storage (or “sequestration”) sites, and the development of regulatory standards and mechanisms to guide this process, will be needed to minimize the environmental risks
associated with CO2 leakage (including groundwater contamination). For CCS to play a major role in reducing CO2 emissions, an enormous new infrastructure must be constructed to capture, process, and transport large quantities of CO2. And although CCS has been the subject of considerable research and analysis, it has yet to be demonstrated in the form of commercial-scale, fully integrated projects at coal-fired power plants. Such demonstration projects are needed to determine the relative cost-effectiveness of CCS compared with other carbon-reducing strategies, and to assess its environmental safety."

Last chance for coal: making carbon capture and storage a reality

Source: Green Alliance
"In this collection of viewpoints, Green Alliance reveals the growing support for carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a means of tackling the twin challenges of climate change and energy security. CCS technology appears to be ready, but it must be demonstrated urgently at commercial scale if it is to be deployed more widely in the coming decades.But financial support to kick-start a new CCS industry is not in itself sufficient. Europe must reduce carbon emissions and cannot risk the construction of new unabated coal plants while CCS is being demonstrated. This collection therefore also looks in depth at how Europe can follow California’s experience with emissions performance standards. Such an approach would provide regulatory certainty for CCS and secure the future of the EU emissions trading scheme. "

Impacts of underground coal mining on natural features of the southern coalfield

Source: NSW Dept. of Primary Industries
"The terms of reference focused on particular defined significant natural features (ie rivers and significant streams, swamps and cliff lines). The Panel considered that certain local non-natural values contributed to the significance of these features, including Aboriginal heritage, non-Aboriginal heritage, conservation, scenic and recreational values. Water flows and water quality were considered to relate not only to ecosystem functioning but also to reflect water supply
catchment values. The terms of reference did not extend to advising on the ‘acceptability’ of particular subsidence impacts or the scale or measurement of the value or significance of individual natural features."

Don't get burned: the risks of investing in new coal-fired generating facilities

"Facing rising construction costs, regulatory uncertainties, environmental concerns and other growing risks, the utilities with more than 100 proposed new coal-fired power plants on the drawing board now are facing “comparable risks and uncertainties” to what derailed the U.S. nuclear power industry in the 1970s, according to a major new report prepared by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc., for the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). The report concludes that “coal is losing its appeal as a predictable investment and is instead fraught with uncertainty.”"

Coal meeting the climate challenge

"The report specifically examines the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in enabling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to atmosphere from coal use to be reduced by 80-90%".

Future of coal: options for a carbon-constrained world

"This study, addressed to government, industry, and academic leaders, discusses the interrelated technical, economic, environmental, and political challenges facing a significant increase in global coal power utilization over the next half century".

Between a rock and a hard place: the science of geosequestration

Geosequestration or carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has the potential to play an important role in the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions. It may also prove to be of particular importance to Australia.