{"id":3618,"date":"2018-12-13T22:06:57","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T21:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euracoal.eu\/?p=3618"},"modified":"2018-12-13T22:06:57","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T21:06:57","slug":"euracoal-members-at-cop24-side-event-on-coal-gasification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/?p=3618","title":{"rendered":"EURACOAL members at COP24 side event on coal gasification"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Polish coal industry was a major sponsor of the UNFCCC COP24 climate conference held in Katowice during the first two weeks of December 2018.<\/p>\n

On 13 December, EURACOAL members joined a panel on coal gasification in the Polish Pavilion, chaired by Prof. Stanis\u0142aw Prusek of the Central Mining Institute (GIG).<\/p>\n

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Prof. Stanis\u0142aw Prusek, General Director, G\u0142\u00f3wny Instytut G\u00f3rnictwa (GIG \u2013 Central Mining Institute) at COP24, Katowice, 13 December 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He explained that coal gasification was not a new idea, with more than fifty years\u2019 development including intense activities during World War II and the apartheid years in South Africa.<\/p>\n

Mr. Waldemar \u0141agoda of the Polish Ministry of Energy presented Poland\u2019s latest draft energy strategy. Poland\u2019s heavy dependence on coal will decline, but coal-based power generation will remain important as electricity demand increases. He said Poland should not be punished for this, noting that the country had already reduced its CO2<\/sub> emissions by 30% since 1990 when 98% of power generation was based on coal. Pollutant emissions have also decreased significantly. The energy mix for power generation will continue to change, with coal\u2019s share declining from today\u2019s 77%-78% to 32% in 2040, according to the strategy which is open for consultation. The growth in low-carbon energy sources \u2013 nuclear and RES \u2013 will allow average emissions to fall to 550 gCO2<\/sub>\/kWh in 2035, requiring new infrastructure and new approaches to energy storage, coal gasification, syngas production and hydrogen use.<\/p>\n

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click to download<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

EURACOAL President, Tomasz Rogala, believes that coal gasification is a logical approach in a world that uses 7.5 billion tonnes of coal each year. Talk in Europe of phasing out coal seems unreasonable, he said, presenting gasification as the right response for four reasons:<\/p>\n

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  1. Investment in gasification responds to market signals and the increasing pressure to cut emissions from fossil fuel use.<\/li>\n
  2. Poland\u2019s heavy reliance on coal means investment to reduce net emissions from the energy sector is essential to fight climate change.<\/li>\n
  3. New investments, supported by the EU Coal Regions in Transition Platform, can have positive benefits for the local economy, jobs and the environment.<\/li>\n
  4. Gasification results in increased efficiency and offers a way to recycle waste materials which contributes to a more circular economy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mr. Rogala called for a broad coalition of the coal sector with municipalities, regional stakeholders, the chemical sector and consumers. He envisages a six-year plan to bring gasification alive at PGG sites such as Ziemowit and Jankowice. He concluded his positive message by noting how a country with one of most competitive economies in the world has embraced coal gasification, namely China.<\/p>\n

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    Prof. Aleksander Sobolewski, Director, Instytutu Chemicznej Przer\u00f3bki W\u0119gla (IChPW \u2013 Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal) at COP24, Katowice, 13 December 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Prof. Aleksander Sobolewski from the Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal (IChPW) in Zabrze spoke on the global development of gasification technologies, suggesting that the 550 gCO2<\/sub>\/kWh emission performance standard (EPS) proposed by the European Commission as part of its Clean Energy package means that commercial gasification with fuel cells (IGFC) must be developed. He opined that the concept of decarbonisation was wrong: carbon will be needed by the chemical and other industries in the future, so policy should focus on low-emission technologies such as polygeneration for power and ethanol production with zero emissions and CO2<\/sub> sequestration in useful chemicals.<\/p>\n

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    click to download<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Prof. Prusek added here the achievements in gasification at the Central Mining Institute (GIG) in Katowice, including the results of analysis used to select coals for gasification. He observed that fluidised-bed reactors were the most suitable for PGG\u2019s gasification projects, a view confirmed by Mr. Wojciech Ksi\u0105\u017ckiewicz representing the US technology company SES. Mr. Pawe\u0142 G\u00f3rski of W\u0119glokoks Energia expressed his hope that Enea would go ahead with its IGCC project and said that W\u0119glokoks itself was planning a small project that should achieve the 550 gCO2<\/sub>\/kWh EPS.<\/p>\n

    During the discussion panel, Prof. Sobolewski said that the necessary research had all been done. What was needed were political decisions based on the feasibility studies now underway. Mr. Rogala agreed, explaining that technology development is part of everyday work in his mines where equipment becomes more and more automated with the transformation to Industry 4.0. PGG, he said, would pursue all options at its sites, including solar PV, but progress with coal gasification was a must in Poland.<\/p>\n

    Impressions from COP24<\/strong><\/p>\n