Prepared by: Izhar Mithal J iskani – 09 MN 98

FutureGen FutureGen is a US government project announced by President George W. Bush in

2003[; its initial plan involved the construction of a near zero-emissions coal-fueled

power plant to produce hydrogen and electricity while using carbon capture and storage.

n December 2007, Mattoon Township, Coles County, Illinois northwest of Mattoon,

Illinois was chosen as the site for the plant from among four finalists in Illinois and

Texas. On January 29, 2008, the Department of Energy announced a restructuring of the

FutureGen project, which was claimed necessary due to rising costs. In June 2008, the

government announced a call for proposals to elicit commercial involvement in the

restructuring. In 2010, after a number of setbacks, the city of Mattoon backed out of the

project

Kyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into

force on 16 February 2005. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to

the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the

Under the Protocol, 39 industrialized countries and the European Union commit

themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane,

nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and

perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries give general

commitments. This amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the

five-year period 2008-2012.

In-Situ Coal Gasification

In-situ means "in place", and refers to recovery techniques at the location of the energy

source (e.g. coal stays in place).

What is Gasification?

Gasification is a commercially proven manufacturing process that converts

carbonaceous materials such as coal into a synthesis gas (syngas). This gas can then

be used as fuel (e.g. for power generation) or further processed to produce other

outputs such as fertilizers and liquid fuels. Gasification is a method for extracting

energy from organic material and is an efficient technology that can produce high value

products from low-value feedstock such as coal.

SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERSDepartment of Mining Engineering,

Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro

Prepared by: Izhar Mithal J iskani – 09 MN 98

What is In-Situ Coal Gasification (ISCG)?

ISCG is gasification of coal deep underground in its original coal seam. The ISCG

process uses injection and production wells drilled from the surface to access the coal

seam and facilitate the process in-situ. The coal is not extracted to the surface as there is

no coal mine or coal handling facilities with ISCG. Through a high pressure gasification

process, the coal is efficiently converted in-place in its original seam into syngas. The

syngas is flowed to the surface and is then processed in a conventional gas plant to

produce fuel for electrical power generation or used to produce other products.

Beneficiation of Coal Coal is highly variable with respect to the physical and chemical properties that affect its

use. Industries that use coal specify a range of properties that are required for their

intended process. Coal suppliers try to find coals that most closely match those

requirements. Coal is treated in processes called "beneficiation" to prepare a material that

meets the customer's needs and is as homogenous as possible. Samples of coal from both

cores and mines are taken to determine the treatment that must be performed. Preparation

plants that perform specific beneficiation processes are constructed as near as possible to

the location where the coal is mined.

Three kinds of processes may be performed at the plants: (1) sizing, controlled by a

crushing and screening process, (2) increasing heating value, by removing

noncombustible ash and rock by gravity separation, (3) removing or controlling

undesirable mineral and chemical components (sulfur, sodium, and trace elements) by a

combination of gravity separation and blending. Traditionally, most coal preparation was

primarily concerned with sulfur and ash reduction. Today, however, much more

sophisticated processes have more narrow and complex physical and chemical

requirements for coal stock.

SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERSDepartment of Mining Engineering,

Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro