Clean power generation from coal

Abstract Studies conducted at the Energy Research Centre at the University of Ulster, Coleraine have been made using an ECLIPSE process simulator to perform technical and economic analysis of a number of coal-fired power generation technologies, including an analysis of the effect of a carbon tax on the relative economics of these processes. They have also examined the impact on these technologies of installing equipment for sequestering CO 2 and using the CO 2 produced in enhanced oil recovery. The results show that advanced coal-fired power generation systems provide a means of reducing CO 2 emissions through improved conversion efficiency without adversely affecting electricity selling prices. A carbon tax of £32/tonne CO 2 would increase the breakeven electricity selling price by about 65%–75%, but even at this high level a carbon tax does not provide any real incentive to develop these advanced coal-fired power generation systems. Selling liquid CO 2 for use in enhanced oil recovery is potentially attractive for all coal-fired power generation technologies.