-~in the wo Fe . ~ Se 3 GASIFICATION UCG: where renewable energy sources, fossil fuels, particularly coal, will continue to bea ma coal demand is predicted between2008- isnt sa easy. Here we take a look a efforts 2085. Howeves,coalis one ofthe primary _aroundthe world tokeep the momentum environmental polluters and its use I going contributing tothe rising CO, concentration inthe atmosphere. urthesmote, many ofthe orld’ coal reserves are toa deep to exploit byconventional methods (such assurfice (injection wel and production well) partly Arlled into the coal seam some distance apart and connected by a channel trough ‘ining or underground mining). Underground coal gasiieaion (UCG) Low ac amissione Etectty production rid? Dongmin Yang, Yong Sheng and Michael Green take a global look at how underground coal gasification is developing eee NR SEG Niece ESPITE the ongoing rend towards provides accesso coal deposits that would ‘otherwise remain unused and an attractive route to carbon capture and storage (CCS), However in spite ofthe concept being 2 telatively simple one, putingit Le 0, sopaaten stom lnecton wal Hy, 4,60, Oryoen te ©, + minor ‘Sess & contaminated zone Figure 1: Schematic agram of UCG process 38 www.tcetoday.com tebrucey 2014 ‘which gases can flow (see Figure 1). During the UOG process, the gasifying agent (iz, ‘oxygen entiched at, or oxygen, possibly with ded steam) is supplied via the injection tothe underground gasification chamber, and the product gases (alo calle syngas) _ a extracted via the production well othe surface for weatment and use, Commercial Seale operations using UCG would involve ‘multiple boreholes/wellso produce sufficlent ‘quantities of syngas. UCG offers the potential for using the energy stored in coal in an economic and environmentally sensitive \way, particularly from deposits which are ‘unmineable by conventional methods 1 Istobe successflly developed and widely deployed, then the worlds coal reserves are likely to be revised upwards by a substantia amount. Also, ste selection ie eitical to ‘any development since the geology and hhydcogeology must be appropriate. practicalities of UCG UGG is conceptually ver simple tthe evelopment ofa working system has proved ‘more diftcultin practice. The main problems ae accurate in-seam driling controlling she reaction within the seam and producing A consistent high quality gos, Meaningful experiments cannot be caried out in the laboratory, so als must be undertaken atpilot scale which ibothcosty and time consuming. More research on sito evaluations econone sties and safety ae generally required to convince finance insutions, permitting authorities end Javestorsto support the commercial projees ‘As most ofthe existing UCG projects and trials ‘were carried outin separate counties and regions, comertng the knowledge gained into commercial practice and sharing experience ‘would signicaty increase the economie siabity of UCG, Few are currently looking at UUCG in preference to conventional ining ‘where the coal ean be extracted economically ‘sing well proven methods, but there are signs that the technology becomes established uring the next ten years 50, the situation might change.GASIFICATION Worldwide underground coal gasification: a snapshot ‘The only commercial UCG facility is In Yerostigaz in Uzbekistan, which has produced 1m m'/d of syngas since 1961. Despite this. development work continues elsewhere in the worid ook Bay ‘Stone Hom Foe NORTH AMERICA Wyoming: Newt Dakota ero Uspeiian SERA Keneeovo a UK PoiaNo, HUNGARY, BULGARIA NDA Farin it now Inthe 2018 Tana - Roses foe CHILE = ‘souTH oe 7mponmrna ah Sane torres global snapshot ‘Atala, Europe, Canada and more recently South Afi have been leading the development of UCG technology since 2000, Austallan Company Line Energy now onwnsthe words only commeceiat UCG facity,Yerosigaz in Urbestan, veh has consistently produced im m/dofsyngas since 1961, and has also constructed and commissioned a UCG demonstration fait in Chinchilla, strata wo produce sagas for gas-o-lguld production (TL). Other ‘companies sch a Carbon Energy and ‘Cougar have uiedo pursue their own UCG projets, butall the Queensland projets ste cureniybeing decommissioned. The future ofcommercial UC in Queensland ‘willdepend on sastactory closure and restoration ofthe pilot tests anda tage by stage approval ofthe environmental processes. Solid Energy in New Zealand arsed out aUOG plot in Hntly Westin February 201, but the project has been shut down andthe commercial plant suspended forinteral financial reasons. However, there has been some progress in Asia, pareulary im China. China has run around 15 UCG tials to date, ENN Group, ‘which i partof the Hebei based Kindo Group, is working closely with corporations in Uzbekistan, the US, Australia, South Aftica And the EU, withthe im of using UCG ‘syngas for chemical manufacture, In 2011, aT As most of the existing UCG projects and trials were carried out in separate countries and regions, converting the knowledge gained into commercial practice and sharing experience would significantly increase the economic viability of UCG. CHINA 3OUCG tale vera ‘ara Yen Ban vestgated "AUSTRALIA INDONESIA Pea re Asoszng coal ‘socom lesposts ana U6 pote A USS1.Sbn commercial partnership was launched betvreen UK and China to gasity {8m ty ofburied coal in Inner Mongoli's¥3 He coal feld to generate 1,000 MW of power. In addition, Australian-based Carbon Energy hasa technology licence agreement ‘with Shansi Coal commercialise its proprietary keyseam' UCG technology in Shanxi Province, and India started a 'UCG pilot projectin Ranigan coalfield in 2005 which reached the stage af borehole exploration driling. Several attempishhave boen made in India launch commercial UOG in designated UCG ‘locks, and 2 new insatve in 2014s planned. |n2010, Pakistan started a UCG projectin the ‘Thar Coal deposit, aiming to set up two pilot 5 MW power plants and to generate 8,000 MW ftom Thar Coal by 2015. Indonesia has assessed a range of coal deposits and UCG project development opportunities at one area in South Sumatra, and two ather areas ‘mast Kalimantan, Duong Do Company in ‘Vieonam is collaborating with Gazprom to february 2014 wwrwtcetoday.com 59SS J} GASIFICATION Investigate the prospect of UCG in the Quang Yen Basin, “Meanie, back in the West, the US and Canada have conducted feld trials and ‘modelling work on UCG for decades in both Industry and research estabilshments. The Us has been undertaking the commercial evelopment of UCG in Wyoming, Cooks bay Alaska and North Dakota. The lead project in Wyoming, again le by Line Energy is close to gaining approval fora pilot test. The Canadian Company Lauras Energy plans to develop @ UCG project at Stone Hon Ridge near the Beluga River in southern Alaska, The project willbe designed and developed with the capability for carbon capture and storage Currently, Swan Hills Synfuels with Synergla Polygen have successfully completed a UCG trial at 1400 m and are seeking financial support to commercialise the project. Overin Burope an important and recent project undertaken by GIG in Poland is the hydrogen oriented underground coal gasification for Europe (or HUGE’) project (2007-2010), and ts successor HUGE (2012-2015) funded under the Research Fund {or Coal and Stel (RECS) programme and, bringing together collaborating partners from seven Member States. In Hungary, Wildhorse Energy completed the pre-feasbilty study of aUCG project at Meesek Hills (in 2012), which concluded thatthe project was attractive economically and technically. The projectis currently at the bankable feasibility study phase, Red “Mountain Energy in Russia latched a UCG project in the Kemerovo region in Siberia in 2011, curently atthe feasibility study tage. nally tho symgns from UCG will he used to ‘generate power fr a local coven. Ukraine has continued to work on UCG and sitesi the Donbass coal ld are again being evaluated. The UK has large reserves of indigenous coal both onshore and offshore inthe southern North Sea. Am initative on UCG (2000-2005) led bythe UK Coal Authority and supporce by the then UK Department of Trade and Industry (DT investigated the feasibility of UCG in the UK. The main conclusion was that UCG should be seen primarily asa nearshore and estuary technology anda site was identified in the Firth of orth asa possible fold eal location. Since 2008, more than 20 Heences hhave been issued for UCG exploration in offshore locations. The key players have been Clean Coal (Swansea, Cromer, Humberside, Canonbie and Sunderland), BOG (Firth of Forth) Five quarters (Newcastle) and the ‘Welsh government (N Wales, Irish Sea), (Cuff Natural Resourees has recently joined the efforts, with exploration licences for five ofshore sites in Scotiand, Wales and Cumbria in England, 12007 Eskom commissioned a UCG pilot plant (3 MW) nex to Majuba Power Station in Mpumalanga in South Afica and in 2010, the syngas produced was used for co-firing with coal in the power station, Eskom has since joined forces with Sasol Ina ZARIDN (Usss2m) development projec. In Sou America, in june 2013, Carbon Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (100) with the Delmo Group to provide UCG technology and related services for ‘commercial-scale UCG at Claromeco coal nile conventional mining technologias exploit most of the worlds coal resources, UCG technology brings neu fe ortho vast coal deposits deee underground, 40 wwrw.tcotoday.com iebruary 2014 More and more potential UCG sits uch 43 Usraine's Donbass coal il) are boing investigated and evaluated for plot tests, basin in Argentina. Previously, Carbon Energy announced a joint project with Antofagasta Mineral in Malpuna in Chile, ‘The pre-feasbilty study for power generation thas been completed, and the project aims 10 supply syngas to a minimmurn 250 MW power station. UCG combine {U0G, when combined with carbon capture ‘and storage (CCS), has the potential to provide the energy needed without the offending greenhouse gases and other emissions. The UCG syngas can be processed to partaly ar completely remove CO, before itis passed on for end users (industrial heating and power generation), thereby providing a source of cleaner energy while minimising greenhouse gas emissions (see Figure 1). n today’s world, managing carbon and contolling CO, emissions are ikelyo become subjects which may determine the future of individual UOG developments. However, combining UCG with CCS is stil ‘under desk study and no trial project has yet been conducted. challeng he future Though licensing olcios or UCG ae already being formed in ome countries eg Austalia,UK, Cnads, NewZealand and the Us), the lack of specifi regulations nother ountties could be slowing doven progres. ‘The challenge to ensure the commercial viability of CG technology ssgntean, but these tds could be overcome by deploying te right policies and arguments to convinee public opinion, While goverment suppor of de rechnology is needed to proxiuce a rlable technical knowledge and expetise base, more projects need tobe implemented to test possible UCG approaches. ditionally, some commercialGASIFICATION Ea Ee China, South Africa and Canada are the countries Probably closest to commercialisation outside of the EU. field projects could serve as possible locations to develop and tst novel monitoring, simulation, advanced drilling techniques, snd tools and approaches to canfitm the ‘environmental viability of UCG, Collaborating and sharing expertise and knowledge benween projects and governments is key to commercalising and {growing the UCG industry. The countries with the greatest interest and most active R&D programmes in UCG are China, Indi, South Africa, the US, Canada, Australia and certain Member States ofthe EU, China, South Atice «and Canada are the countries probably closest. to commercialisation outside ofthe LU. Within the EU, the countries showing the ‘most progress are Poland, Hungary and the UK.CCS research and developmentis active ‘and demonstration-scale projects ofboth capture and CO, storage are under way in ‘most counties dead countries including the US, Canada and the FU Member States. Cina is increasingly interested inthis ld. EU RFCS supported works in Bulgaria and Poland, and the recent FP7 study of UCG and. ‘CCS offers the opportunity to produce low carbon UCG ara competitive price. Although the majority ofthe environmental impacts of UOG are postive ones, such asthe significant reduction ofthe surface damage and solid waste discharge aswell assulphur dioxide (S0,) and nittogen oxide (NOx) emissions, there are a few potential ‘environmental concerns associated with ‘tho UCG operation for example aquifer contamination, Organic and often toxie ‘materials (suchas phenel) remain inthe underground chamber after gasification and, therefore, ae tkely to leach into groundwater, However some esearch has shown thatthe persistence of such substances inthe waters, short and that groundwater recovers within a few years Rigorous site selection procedures vith regard to the hydrological conclitions can aso reduce the rskof the groundwater contamination. ‘Modern UCG isa new industry tothe ‘public and the medis. Public acceptance of this green technology wil depend on more sucessful research and trials to demonstrate its advantages in terms ofboth financial and environmental impacts over the tradition ‘mining methods. tee Dongmin Yang (4.yang@leads.ac.uk is a Jectuer at the School of Gvil Engineering, University of Leeds: Yong Sheng isa senior lecturer, also at Leeds; Michael Green is ‘managing director al UCG Engineering. Chemical Engineering Matiers Thee diced are Song onthe ie ek cl rug) Scunen Oona nga as Ae oer wasn Weer tine 29, 13-14 Heath an! wellbeing Vist wnnccheme oes 0 dscover whee thistideandgeurownacintie fe athe myriad tapas halerges cng comic engirars Programme themes een Dr Rob Stikkelman, director, Centre for Port Innovation and Regional Development, Rotterdam New developments in gasification Gasification and energy from waste and biomass New Horizons in Gasification The1 2th European Gasification Conference 10-13 March 2014, Rotterdam, The Netherlands www.icheme.org/gasification2014 Brian Ricketts, secretary general EURACOAL Dr Andrew Minchener OBE, general manager IEA Clean Coal Centre Dr Jeff Chapman, former executive of Carbon Capture and Storage Association Novel technologies New concepts and opportunities for gasification IChemE (2 february 2014 wwwrtceteday.com 4)