Coal, Study and Water

Study finds methane emissions from coal mines ~50% higher than previously thought

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

The amount of methane released into the atmosphere as a result of coal mining is likely approximately 50% higher than previously estimated, according to research presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The study is one of the first to account for methane leaking from old, abandoned mines.

Coal

Coal Emissions Escape Ukraine

Study findings suggest that switching from coal to natural gas would do little for global climate

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

The study will appear next month in the peer-reviewed journal Climatic Change Letters. The study underscores the complex and sometimes conflicting ways in which fossil fuel burning affects Earth’s climate. —Tom Wigley. Methane is an especially potent greenhouse gas. degree Fahrenheit (less than 0.1 degree Celsius). degrees F (0.1-0.2

Coal

Coal Climate Gas Global

CICERO-led study finds global warming effect of leaked hydrogen almost 12x stronger than CO2

Green Car Congress

JUNE 12, 2023

A study led by Norwegian climate center CICERO has found that the global warming effect of leaked hydrogen is almost 12 times stronger than that of CO 2. Unlike exhaust from burning coal and gas that contains CO 2 , burning hydrogen emits only water vapor and oxygen. Sand et al. —Dr Sand The GWP100 of hydrogen. Sand et al.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen Global Ozone CO2

Study finds high sodium bicarbonate concentrations in water from coal-bed natural gas production harms aquatic life; water treatment can mitigate effects

Green Car Congress

JUNE 14, 2012

Produced water from coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) production may contain sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) at concentrations that can harm aquatic life, according to a new study by the US Geological Survey; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the Bureau of Land Management and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Sodium

Sodium Water Coal Montana

OSU team demonstrates Coal-Direct Chemical Looping for more efficient and low carbon coal heat release

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

An Ohio State University team has demonstrated the successful operation of Coal-Direct Chemical Looping (CDCL)—which chemically harnesses coal’s energy and efficiently contains the carbon dioxide produced before it can be released into the atmosphere. Hot iron and coal ash are left behind. 2 millimeters across.

Coal

Coal Carbon Ohio Columbus

DOE to award $32M for FEED studies for production of rare earths and critical minerals and materials from coal

Green Car Congress

JULY 15, 2023

Coal and coal production waste contain a wide variety of valuable rare earth elements that can be converted into clean energy technology components. The US currently has more than 250 billion tons of coal reserves, more than 4 billion tons of waste coal, and about 2 billion tons of coal ash at various sites across the country.

Coal

Coal Production Waste Cleaning

Design study for SA underground coal gasification plant underway

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 13, 2011

South Africa state-owned power utility Eskom reports that a design study is currently under way for an underground coal gasification (UCG) demonstration plant, which will include a 250,000 Nm 3 /h gas production plant and a 100 MW to 140 MW gas turbine plant. The coal seam lies between 280 m and 300 m deep. Mining Weekly.

Coal

Coal Design South Africa Gas-Electric

OSU team develops process to clean coal mine drainage and extract rare earth elements

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 4, 2023

Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a novel process to clean coal mine drainage and extract rare-earth elements from it. Coal mine drainage (CMD) impairs tens of thousands of kilometers of U.S. CMD, coal mine drainage; TEP, trap-extract-precipitate. Miranda et al. —Jeff Bielicki. Miranda, Jeffrey M.

Coal

Coal Cleaning Clean West Virginia

Updated NETL study provides more detailed economic and environmental assessment of coal-to-liquids and CTL with modest biomass

Green Car Congress

MAY 15, 2012

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has released a follow-on study to its 2009 evaluation of the economic and environmental performance of Coal-to-Liquids (CTL) and CTL with modest amounts of biomass mixed in (15% by weight) for the production of zero-sulfure diesel fuel. Earlier post.). —White and Gray.

Coal

Coal Diesel Oil Prices Water

Argonne study finds shale gas GHG lifecycle emissions 6% lower than natural gas, 23% lower than gasoline and 33% lower than coal; upstream methane leakage a key contributor

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 18, 2011

The base results from a study by a team at the Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory indicate that shale gas life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 6% lower than conventional natural gas, 23% lower than gasoline, and 33% lower than coal. Credit: ACS, Burnham et al. Click to enlarge.

Gas

Gas Coal Emissions Gasoline

DOE awarding $6.5M to 9 large-scale Phase I pilot coal projects

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

This FOA, issued in August 2017, is a $50-million funding opportunity for projects supporting cost-shared research and development to design, construct, and operate two large-scale pilots to demonstrate transformational coal technologies. Some of these technologies are now ready to proceed to the large-scale pilot stage of development.

Coal

Coal North Dakota Illinois Universal

CSIRO study finds little to no environmental impact from fracing in Queensland

Green Car Congress

APRIL 27, 2020

A comprehensive three-year scientific study into the air, water and soil impacts of hydraulic fracturing (HF) in coal seam gas (CSG) in Queensland, Australia has found little to no impacts on air quality, soils, groundwater and waterways. Source: CSIRO.

Coal

Coal Water Australia Gas

NYK Line invests in waste-to-biofuel company

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 29, 2022

which has developed its own integrated subcritical-water organic-waste power-generation system (ISOP) system, which decomposes organic substances using subcritical-water-treating technology and ultimately produces green energy products such as biofuels. The products can be reused as green energy products such as bio-coal, biogas (e.g.,

Waste

Waste Companies Water Coal

PNNL study finds 2028 grid resource adequacy likely sufficient for high EV penetration; managed charging strategies can double adequacy

Green Car Congress

JULY 30, 2020

A new study of the impact of high EV adoption on the Western US power grid by a team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has found that 2028 grid resource adequacy—from generation through transmission—is likely to be sufficient for high EV penetration. Source: PNNL.

Grid

Grid Charging Power Grid California

Study projects thermoelectric power in Europe and US vulnerable to climate change due to lower summer river flows and higher river water temperatures

Green Car Congress

JUNE 3, 2012

A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that thermoelectric power plants (i.e., nuclear and fossil-fueled generating units) in Europe and the United States are vulnerable to climate change due to the combined impacts of lower summer river flows and higher river water temperatures. Compared to other water use sectors (e.g.

Climate Change

Climate Change Water Climate Europe

Renault makes public its lifecycle study of Fluence ICE vs Fluence EV

Green Car Congress

JULY 11, 2013

Renault recently made public the findings of an internal study, published first in October 2011, detailing and comparing the lifecycle assessments (LCAs) of the battery-electric and two internal combustion engined versions (gasoline and diesel) of the Renault Fluence. water, and non-renewable energies (crude oil, coal.)

Li-ion

Li-ion Gasoline-Electric Ozone Diesel

Ignite Energy Resources and TRUenergy Plan Direct Coal-to-Liquids and Coal Drying Demo Project for Supercritical Water Technology

Green Car Congress

JULY 10, 2009

Ignite Energy Resources supercritical water process diagram. IER’s proprietary supercritical water technology (SCW) transforms low-ranked coals, including lignite, directly into higher-valued oils and cleaner coal products. tonnes of high-ranked coal. Source: IER. Click to enlarge. Source: IER. Click to enlarge.

Coal

Coal Water Energy Cleaner

Researchers demonstrate electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from air and water under mild conditions

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2013

Natural gas or coal is used as the energy source of the ammonia industry. is well known that some higher plants can synthesize ammonia or its derivatives directly from air and water at room temperature. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report on artificial synthesis of ammonia direct from air and water.

Water

Water 2010 Energy Storage Mariner

Syngas Engages Rentech and GE for Clinton Coal and Biomass to Liquids Project in Australia

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 25, 2009

Australia’s Syngas Limited has engaged Rentech to provide Fischer-Tropsch fuels production preliminary engineering services for Syngas’ proposed commercial scale coal and biomass to liquids (CBTL) fuels facility in Southern Australia, known as the Clinton Project. Additionally, the Clinton coal fluidizes well.

Coal

Coal Australia Diesel Oil Prices

Rice lab’s flash Joule heating extracts rare earth elements from waste at high yields

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

The lab’s flash Joule heating process, introduced several years ago to produce graphene from any solid carbon source ( earlier post ), has now been applied to three sources of rare earth elements—coal fly ash, bauxite residue and electronic waste—to recover rare earth metals. —Deng et al. —James Tour.

Waste

Waste Coal Convert Carbon

Modified SOFC anodes allow operation at lower temperatures with carbon-containing gases; potential for much more efficient and cleaner generation of electricity from coal

Green Car Congress

JUNE 25, 2011

gasified coal—by eliminating the coking problem. The resulting lower-temperature SOFCs could provide a cleaner, more efficient alternative to conventional power plants for generating electricity from coal reserves. About half of the carbon dioxide is then recirculated back to gasify the coal to coal gas to continue the process.

Coal

Coal Carbon Cleaner Water

MIT Report Finds Natural Gas Has Significant Potential to Displace Coal, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Role in Transportation More Limited

Green Car Congress

JUNE 26, 2010

Natural gas will play a leading role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions over the next several decades, largely by replacing older, inefficient coal plants with highly efficient combined-cycle gas generation, according to a major new interim report out from MIT. The first two reports dealt with nuclear power (2003) and coal (2007).

MIT

MIT Coal Gas Emissions

DOE Selects Seven Projects for University Coal Research Program

Green Car Congress

MAY 14, 2010

The US Department of Energy has selected 7 projects to participate in the University Coal Research (UCR) program. The projects aim to improve the basic understanding of the chemical and physical processes that govern coal conversion and utilization, by-product utilization, and technological development for advanced energy systems.

Coal

Coal Universal West Virginia Kansas City

DOE Coal FIRST Initiative invests $80M in net-zero carbon electricity and hydrogen plants

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 29, 2020

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has selected four projects for cost-shared research and development under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA), DE-FOA-0002180, Design Development and System Integration Design Studies for Coal FIRST Concepts.

Coal

Coal Carbon Hydrogen Nebraska

DOE awards $7M to eight oxy-combustion coal technology projects; carbon capture, utilization and storage

Green Car Congress

JULY 26, 2012

The US Department of Energy (DOE) selected eight projects to advance the development of transformational oxy-combustion technologies capable of high-efficiency, low-cost carbon dioxide capture from coal-fired power plants. The Energy Department’s $7 million investment—leveraged with recipient cost-share to support approximately $9.4

Coal

Coal Carbon Gas-Electric Gas

DOE awards $1.95M for conceptual designs that extract critical minerals and rare earth elements from coal sources

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 7, 2020

million in federal funding to develop conceptual designs of commercially viable technologies that will extract rare earth elements (REEs) from US coal and coal by-product sources. Winner Water Services Inc. The conceptual designs of each project include an option for up to a $2-million feasibility study. Sharon, PA).

Coal

Coal Design West Virginia North Dakota

ANL: life-cycle water consumption of fuel cell vehicles can be cut in half compared to that of conventional ICE vehicles

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The life-cycle water consumption of fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen produced from natural gas with steam methane reforming is almost 50% less than the life-cycle water consumption of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles using gasoline, according to a study by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

Water

Water Fuel Vehicles Gasoline-Electric

Stanford study quantifies energetic costs of grid-scale energy storage over time; current batteries the worst performers; the need to improve cycle life by 3-10x

Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2013

A new study by Charles J. The Stanford study considered a future US grid where up to 80% of the electricity comes from renewables. What little capacity there is comes from pumped hydroelectric storage, which works by pumping water to a reservoir behind a dam when electricity demand is low. Credit: Barnhart and Benson, 2013.

Energy Storage

Energy Storage Grid Cost Of Energy

Peabody Energy and GreatPoint Energy To Partner on Coal-to-Gas and Coal-to-Hydrogen Facilities with Carbon Capture and Storage

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Overview of the bluegas catalytic coal methanation process. By adding a catalyst to the coal gasification system, GreatPoint Energy is able to reduce the operating temperature in the gasifier, while directly promoting the reactions that yield methane, (CH 4 ). Click to enlarge.

Coal

Coal Carbon Gas Energy

Duke study finds China’s synthetic natural gas plants will have heavy environmental toll; 2x vehicle GHG if used for fuel

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Coal-powered synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants being planned in China would produce seven times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional natural gas plants, and use up to 100 times the water as shale gas production, according to a new study by Duke University researchers published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Gas

Gas Mercury Fuel Climate Change

Report finds Coal-to-Liquids and Oil Shale pose significant financial and environmental risks to investors

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 19, 2010

Ceres recently released a new report concluding that coal-to-liquid (CTL) and oil shale technologies face significant environmental and financial obstacles—from water constraints, to technological uncertainties to regulatory and market risks—that pose substantial financial risks for investors involved in such projects.

Coal

Coal Oil Water Oil Prices

USGS/BOEM study identifies method to differentiate between natural seepage and produced oils in waters off Southern California

Green Car Congress

MAY 22, 2012

Resource managers now have a method to determine the source of oil found in the waters off Southern California and differentiate between naturally seeped oils and those produced by offshore oil and gas production. Other platform oils need to go through a more extensive biomarker analysis to distinguish them from natural seepage.

Oil

Oil California Water Mariner

SAF company DG Fuels closes investments with two Japanese companies

Green Car Congress

JULY 29, 2023

These facilities typically use approximately one ton of coal to produce one BBL of hydrocarbons, with a life cycle CO 2 emissions calculation that is slightly worse than equivalent fuels derived from conventional oil refining. DGF replaces the coal gasification used by others with biomass gasification and natural gas reforming.

Companies

Companies Fuel Louisiana Asia

Headwaters Inc and Axens Form Direct Coal Liquefaction Alliance

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 21, 2010

Headwaters direct coal liquefaction process. Headwaters Inc and Axens are forming a strategic alliance to provide a single-source solution for producing synthetic fuels by direct coal liquefaction (DCL) alone or in combination with refinery residues or biomass. Up to 50% more liquid product per ton of coal. Source: Headwaters.

Coal

Coal Diesel Hydrogen Gasoline

Inorganic mercury converted to more toxic and bio-accumulative monomethylmercury in ocean waters, possibly by microbes

Green Car Congress

APRIL 28, 2011

A team led by the University of Alberta has confirmed that inorganic mercury (Hg) found worldwide in ocean water is transformed into monomethylmercury (MMHg)—a potent and bio-accumulative neurotoxin—in the seawater. Kirk (2011) Methylation of inorganic mercury in polar marine waters. Fitzgerald and Thomas W.

Mercury

Mercury Water Convert St. Louis

Argonne LCA study finds many alternative fuels consume more water than petroleum and natural gas fuels

Green Car Congress

MARCH 9, 2016

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have analyzed the water consumption for transportation fuels in the United States using an extended lifecycle system boundary that includes the water embedded in intermediate processing steps. Increases in population, energy and food demand now strain previously abundant sources of water.

Alternative Fuels

Alternative Fuels Water Fuel Gas

Converting Coal Power Plants to Nuclear Gains Steam

Cars That Think

SEPTEMBER 27, 2022

On a planet aspiring to become carbon neutral, the once-stalwart coal power plant is an emerging anachronism. It is true that, in much of the developing world, coal-fired capacity continues to grow. But in every corner of the globe, political and financial pressures are mounting to bury coal in the past.

Coal

Coal Convert Power Powered

RAND study concludes use of alternative fuels by US military would convey no direct military benefit; recommends energy efficiency instead

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 25, 2011

If the US military increases its use of alternative jet and naval fuels that can be produced from coal or various renewable resources, including seed oils, waste oils and algae, there will be no direct benefit to the nation’s armed forces, according to a new RAND Corporation study. ” —James Bartis, lead author.

Alternative Fuels

Alternative Fuels Fuel Energy Coal

DOE to award up to $14M to 6 new projects to advance IGCC with carbon capture technology for coal-fired plants

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

The selected projects are intended to improve the economics of IGCC plants and promote the use of the US’abundant coal resources. For example, a 60%-efficient gasification power plant can cut the formation of carbon dioxide by 40% compared to a typical coal combustion plant, the DOE said.

Coal

Coal Carbon North Dakota EPRI

Multi-western state collaboration to study demo and deployment of NuScale small modular reactor

Green Car Congress

JULY 1, 2013

The participating utilities, Energy Northwest and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, have assessed regional strategies for reducing long-term carbon emissions including replacing aging coal-fired units, as well as meeting forecasted energy demand growth, and concluded that SMR technology is a vitally important option.

Utah

Utah Idaho Coal Water

Study finds climate impact of hydropower varies widely

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 14, 2019

earlier post ), a new study by a team at Environmental Defense Fund finds that the climate impact of hydropower facilities varies widely throughout the world and over time, with some facilities emitting more greenhouse gases than those burning fossil fuels.

Climate

Climate Climate Change Coal Gas-Electric

ORNL study identifies more biopathways for formation of toxic methylmercury

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 8, 2013

More forms of mercury can be converted to methylmercury—a form of mercury that can be taken into the food chain and eventually can result in mercury-contaminated fish—than previously thought, according to a study led by a team of researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) published in Nature Geoscience. Earlier post.).

Mercury

Mercury Water Convert Coal

Study suggests city center pollution doubles risk of calcium build-up in arteries

Green Car Congress

APRIL 29, 2012

City center residents who took part in a study were almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification (CAC), which can lead to heart disease, than people who lived in less polluted urban and rural areas, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Pollution

Pollution Building Denmark Cleaning

Conservation group opposing Thacker Pass lithium mine seeks endangered status for Kings River pyrg (snail)

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

In 2018, Lithium Americas completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on a two-phase project with a production capacity designed to reach 60,000 tpa of battery- quality lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) and 46-year mine life. The sedimentary-clay deposit at Thacker Pass will use similar mining techniques to many coal deposits.

Nevada

Nevada Coal Pollution Argentina

Study finds methane emissions from coal mines ~50% higher than previously thought

Study findings suggest that switching from coal to natural gas would do little for global climate

CICERO-led study finds global warming effect of leaked hydrogen almost 12x stronger than CO2

Study finds high sodium bicarbonate concentrations in water from coal-bed natural gas production harms aquatic life; water treatment can mitigate effects

OSU team demonstrates Coal-Direct Chemical Looping for more efficient and low carbon coal heat release

DOE to award $32M for FEED studies for production of rare earths and critical minerals and materials from coal

Design study for SA underground coal gasification plant underway

OSU team develops process to clean coal mine drainage and extract rare earth elements

Updated NETL study provides more detailed economic and environmental assessment of coal-to-liquids and CTL with modest biomass

Argonne study finds shale gas GHG lifecycle emissions 6% lower than natural gas, 23% lower than gasoline and 33% lower than coal; upstream methane leakage a key contributor

DOE awarding $6.5M to 9 large-scale Phase I pilot coal projects

CSIRO study finds little to no environmental impact from fracing in Queensland

NYK Line invests in waste-to-biofuel company

PNNL study finds 2028 grid resource adequacy likely sufficient for high EV penetration; managed charging strategies can double adequacy

Study projects thermoelectric power in Europe and US vulnerable to climate change due to lower summer river flows and higher river water temperatures

Renault makes public its lifecycle study of Fluence ICE vs Fluence EV

Ignite Energy Resources and TRUenergy Plan Direct Coal-to-Liquids and Coal Drying Demo Project for Supercritical Water Technology

Researchers demonstrate electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from air and water under mild conditions

Syngas Engages Rentech and GE for Clinton Coal and Biomass to Liquids Project in Australia

Rice lab’s flash Joule heating extracts rare earth elements from waste at high yields

Modified SOFC anodes allow operation at lower temperatures with carbon-containing gases; potential for much more efficient and cleaner generation of electricity from coal

MIT Report Finds Natural Gas Has Significant Potential to Displace Coal, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Role in Transportation More Limited

DOE Selects Seven Projects for University Coal Research Program

DOE Coal FIRST Initiative invests $80M in net-zero carbon electricity and hydrogen plants

DOE awards $7M to eight oxy-combustion coal technology projects; carbon capture, utilization and storage

DOE awards $1.95M for conceptual designs that extract critical minerals and rare earth elements from coal sources

ANL: life-cycle water consumption of fuel cell vehicles can be cut in half compared to that of conventional ICE vehicles

Stanford study quantifies energetic costs of grid-scale energy storage over time; current batteries the worst performers; the need to improve cycle life by 3-10x

Peabody Energy and GreatPoint Energy To Partner on Coal-to-Gas and Coal-to-Hydrogen Facilities with Carbon Capture and Storage

Duke study finds China’s synthetic natural gas plants will have heavy environmental toll; 2x vehicle GHG if used for fuel

Report finds Coal-to-Liquids and Oil Shale pose significant financial and environmental risks to investors

USGS/BOEM study identifies method to differentiate between natural seepage and produced oils in waters off Southern California

SAF company DG Fuels closes investments with two Japanese companies

Headwaters Inc and Axens Form Direct Coal Liquefaction Alliance

Inorganic mercury converted to more toxic and bio-accumulative monomethylmercury in ocean waters, possibly by microbes

Argonne LCA study finds many alternative fuels consume more water than petroleum and natural gas fuels

Converting Coal Power Plants to Nuclear Gains Steam

RAND study concludes use of alternative fuels by US military would convey no direct military benefit; recommends energy efficiency instead

DOE to award up to $14M to 6 new projects to advance IGCC with carbon capture technology for coal-fired plants

Multi-western state collaboration to study demo and deployment of NuScale small modular reactor

Study finds climate impact of hydropower varies widely

ORNL study identifies more biopathways for formation of toxic methylmercury

Study suggests city center pollution doubles risk of calcium build-up in arteries

Conservation group opposing Thacker Pass lithium mine seeks endangered status for Kings River pyrg (snail)

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