Case Study :

Underground Coal
Gasification (UCG) –
Majuba Update

Mark van der Riet

Corporate Consultant
Eskom Holdings Ltd
South Africa
 Introduction
• Eskom presently generates 88% of its
electricity from coal.
• This predominance will decrease, with the
introduction of alternative energy carriers.
• Sustainable options are required to mitigate
the continued usage of coal.
• Eskom has run a comprehensive Clean Coal
Technology research and development
program for several decades, to explore,
identify and demonstrate solutions.
 Coal Roadmapping

• Technology demonstrations are essential

• Technology transfer is required
• No single technical solution fits all needs
• South Africa needs to reduce dependency
on coal for primary energy
• Eskom’s own Clean Coal Roadmap is closely
aligned with international best practice
• South Africa is also embarking on a national
coal roadmap (SANERI/FFF)
 IEA CCC Clean Coal Roadmap for India
and RSA to 2030
Source : IEA-CCC
152, C Henderson,
SJ Mills, Sept 2009

IEA-CCC suggested targets : 90% CO2 removal,

45% efficiency, near-zero NOx, SOx, particulates
 Eskom’s Clean Coal Programme
• Improved efficiencies on existing Sub Critical
Pulverised Coal
• Supercritical Pulverised Coal – Medupi & Kusile
• Ultra-Supercritical Pulverised Coal - scanning
• Fluidised Bed Combustion - pilot
• Conventional and advanced emissions control -
FGD
• Surface gasifier - IGCC
• Carbon Capture and Storage
• Underground coal gasification – IGCC
IGCC = Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
 UCG-IGCC Basic Principles
Surface Plant (incl.
IGCC) commercially
proven with other gases

Gas
out

Air in
UCG is a process where air is
injected into the cavity, water
enters from surrounding
strata, and partial
combustion and gasification
take place at the coal seam
face after ignition. The UCG commercially proven
resulting high-pressure gas in Former Soviet Union
stream is returned to the (FSU) – Eskom is
surface, where the gas is demonstrating in RSA
dried and then combusted in Graphic Reference : Science & Technology
a high-efficiency power Review, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, USA,
station to generate April 2007
electricity.
 UCG – Current World Trends
• FSU – Uzbekistan : Angren commercial plant refurbishing
• New Zealand : Solid Energy NZ starting site
characterisation R&D. Eventual UCG-CCGT
• USA :
• Laurus Energy investigating a 2.3 bt resource in
Wyoming
• CIRI developing a 100MW UCG-CCGT in Alaska
• LLNL investigating the potential of UCG + H2 production
+ CO2 sequestration
• Australia :
• Linc Energy Pilot plant recommissioned. Relocating to S.
Australia
• Carbon Energy 100d pilot trial successful. 20MWe pilot
with CCS announced
• Cougar Energy site characterisation successful, and
10,000 Nm3/h pilot under construction
 UCG – Current World Trends cont.
• UK :
• Being investigated for coal under the Firth of Forth
• Clean Coal investigating 5 North Sea coal resource sites
• VP Power drilling in the Kish Basin, Dublin Bay
• India :
• GAIL approved a feasibility study
• Abhijeet Group investigating UCG-CCGT
• Pakistan : approved a feasibility study for UCG-CCGT
• Vietnam : study underway with JV : Marubeni, Linc Energy
and Vinacomin
• China :
• Historically 16 sites, typically small scale
• New initiatives underway for SNG and methanol, following
a successful 1 month trial
• Southern Africa : Eskom & Sasol, with several other
entrants emerging
 Eskom Strategic Drivers for
UCG-IGCC
1.Security of supply Baseload option

Lower C02 Emissions (25 %

lower than super critical PF
2.Clean energy coal)

Modularity, lead time

3.Flexibility
Potentially 350GWe
4.Utilize Unminable Coal Better utilisation than
conventional mining

5.Lower cost option Competitive R/MWh

 LCA Comparative Emissions
1000 4.0

NOx/SOx/Particulates kg/MWh net

900 3.5
800
3.0
CO2 kg/MWh net

700
600 2.5

500 2.0
400 1.5
300
1.0
200
100 0.5

0 0.0
Conv PF Super PF Conv IGCC UCG-IGCC Nat Gas CC
(Without FGD) (With S removal to suit GT)
CO2 NOx SOx Particulates

Data Reference : Australian ACARP Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, Case Study B20, June 2002

The only cleaner coal-based technology is the developing ultra-supercritical PF

 Environmental Precautions
Outer Water Sampling Zone

Water :
• Surrounding aquifers monitored Inner Water Sampling Zone
monthly – concentric perimeters. No
UCG contamination evident Production Area

Air :
• Baseline air quality tests. Continuous
ambient emission monitoring
Land :
• Baseline flora & fauna survey & soil UCG Water Monitoring Network
tests
• Comprehensive EMP & regular audits
• Majuba site shows natural vegetation
re-establishes rapidly after drilling Ambient Monitoring Station

disruption
• Subsidence is being monitored at
Majuba using devices for conventional
underground monitoring. The potential
strata collapse has also been modelled.
Minimal subsidence observed
Sungazer Lizard Preservation
 UCG Aquifer Philosophy
• The UCG cavity pressure always
maintained < hydrostatic pressure
• flow is always inwards
• Production wells steel-lined &
cemented down to coal seam
• protects the surrounding aquifers
• Ash left underground Diagram not in proportion
In Majuba, coal seam is 3-5m thick, and 280m underground
• UCG temperature = + 1200oC
• leaching tests underway
• Majuba seam capped by 180m of
dolorite sills & segmented by dykes Seam

• Lateral water flow is nil/low

• Australian pilot (1999-2003) had 3rd
party audit, approved by Austr. EPA
 Resource Utilisation Efficiency
20% of coal resource utilised

Thermal
Efficiency Beneficiation Mining

20 50 66
0% Super-critical Power Station with Longwall Mine & Beneficiation 100%

36% of coal resource utilised

Thermal Efficiency Chemical Efficiency Mining Efficiency

36 71 95
0% UCG-IGCC 100%

Thermal 0.5% of resource utilised

Efficiency 1% Extraction
Efficiency

50
0% CCGT with CBM 100%
UCG Coal Value Chain
Reduction = Less Cost

The shorter value chain

translates to lower cost,
confirmed with Eskom
concept-level and
international costing
 Eskom’s UCG Progress
• Scanning study - April 2001, Eskom noted
UCG technology potential.
• Scoping study - Nov 2002, highlighted
potential at Majuba colliery
• Pre-feasibility study - Dec 2003, confirmed
Majuba potential
• Detailed site characterisation study - July
2005, confirmed the potential
• 20th January 2007 – Eskom
commissioned a 3-5000 Nm3/h pilot plant Gas Pipeline Horseshoe construction
on Majuba coalfield
• 31st May 2007 – first electricity generated
from UCG gas at Majuba
• 7km x 600mm NB steel pipeline built to link
UCG with Majuba U4

Mar 2010 – cofiring UCG gas into Majuba
 Design underway for a 100 - 140 MW
OCGT demo plant

Engineering and EIA will commence
thereafter for a new 2100 MW power
station, based on UCG and Combined
Cycle Gas Turbine-Steam Turbine 108 MWe Alstom GT11N2
Eskom’s UCG Progress

UCG Site
 Eskom’s UCG Progress
Average Gas Quality (ex. Pilot plant, May 2009) :
Min (% vol) Max
• Hydrogen H2 14.0 18.0
• Oxygen O2 0.2 0.2
• Water Vapour H2O 5.0 5.0
• Atm. Nitrogen N2 44.3 52.0
• Carbon Monoxide CO 7.0 11.0
• Carbon Dioxide CO2 16.5 18.5
• Methane CH4 2.8 4.5
 Eskom UCG Indicative Development
2005 20th January 2007
2003
2002
Site Commissioned
Done Pre-feasibility Characterisation 5000 Nm3/h pilot plant
Scoping Study
Study on Majuba coalfield

Apr 2009 Mar 2011 Jan 2014 Jun 2014 Mar 2018 Sep 2020

6MW Cofire

DRA = Decision Release Approval = Design, Engineering & Costing

ERA = Execution Release Approval = Procure, Construct and Commission
40MW Demonstration Plant
To do Ph2
COD
DRA ERA

2100MW Commercial Plant

DRA U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6
ERA COD COD COD COD COD COD
 UCG CCS Potential
+ UCG creates a cavity that could
potentially sequester CO2
+ The remnant coal, char and ash would
have a higher surface area for CO2
sorption
+ Infrastructure and wells already in place
– Requires depth > 800m
– Interaction of CO2 with remnant coal,
There is much research to be done !
char and ash must be proven
– UCG leaves behind a heat effect cavity,
with unknown behaviour
 UCG Conclusions
• UCG is a promising clean coal option which allows the
effective extraction and use of RSA coal resources
• UCG has a role to play in the reduction of greenhouse gases
and has possible potential for carbon capture and storage
• UCG is gaining momentum worldwide
• The Eskom UCG pilot has been operating reliably for 33+
months
• No environmental impacts have been noted to date
• Based on work to date, UCG appears to be a very
promising, stable and viable primary energy (baseload)
option with potential on multiple sites
• Eskom is embarking on commercialisation of the technology,
with the first milestone being successful operation of a 40
MW demonstration plant
 Thank You

Eskom’s Ankerlig OCGT

Majuba UCG
E Class GT