Clean Coal Gasification

Coal is used to generate around 80 per cent of electricity in Australia. Coal is Australia’s largest export commodity in the country, worth $22 billion in 2006-07. The coal industry contributes enormously to Australia’s economic growth for Clean Coal Gasification, employment,regional development and national prosperity. The coal industry employs over 30,000 people directly and a further 100,000 indirectly – with many of these jobs in regional areas including the Hunter Valley in New South Wales,Central Queensland, Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and Collie in Western Australia.

Coal fired power stations are significant emitters of greenhouse gases. The Australian Greenhouse Office has estimated that Coal fired electricity generation was responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in Australia in 2005 but with new technology for clean coal gasification has reduced the emission alot.Clean coal technologies offer the potential to trap and safely store carbon emissions, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel fired power stations. National Labor’s Clean Coal Fund will generate $1.5 billion worth of new investment in clean coal technologies by working in partnership with industry.

Development of integrated coal gasification and combined cycle power generators that are significantly more efficient than traditional coal fired power stations and can be adapted to capture and store the carbon dioxide produced through the Clean Coal Gasification process.There is growing international interest in the potential for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants with carbon capture and storage as an efficient, low emission,technology for the future use of coal resources. Australia should be active in that international research effort.