Clean Coal Technology  

The goal of QCAT’s energy research is to improve power generation efficiencies, reduce emissions and develop new low emissions power generation systems. There are currently three groups working on clean coal technology:
VAMCAT

CSIRO

In partnership with industry and government CSIRO is developing new clean coal technologies to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in combination with techniques to clean carbon from emissions and store it safely. Coal mine methane capture and utilisation, low emission technologies and social attitudes to energy technologies are the focus areas for CSIRO research in this field.

Coal mine methane capture

The following three research projects are being undertaken with Chinese partners under the Bilateral Climate Change Partnership Programme and are aimed at helping build the capacity for developing counties to take action on climate change.

  • VAMCAT – power from mine methane
  • Coal mine methane resources and potential project development
  • Coal mine methane capture maximisation

Low emission technologies

  • Coal Gasification
  • Syngas processing and gas separation technologies

Social attitudes to energy technologies

Considerable effort is being directed into growing research looking at the effects of the uptake and/or acceptance of technology and the institutions that constrain science. QCAT is leading an initiative on Minerals and Energy in Society that hopes to provide a practical route to achieving sustainability that does not undermine commercial advantages in the minerals industry.

Social uptake of alternative energy futures report - Download

LinkCSIRO Energy Technology website

Centre for Low Emission Technology (cLET)

cletcLET continues its R&D into ways of using Australia's coal resources to produce near-zero carbon emission electricity and hydrogen. This will allow a smoother transition between the current energy infrastructure and a low carbon emission energy infrastructure of the future.

Link cLET website

CCSDCooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD)

Working with government and industry, CCSD is investigating opportunities for improving coal chain efficiencies and reducing carbon intensity in energy systems. This will be achieved by providing a better understanding of Australian coal performance in combustion, gasification and emerging sustainable coal utilisation technologies.

Link CCSD website

Carbon EnergyCarbon Energy Pty Ltd

Carbon Energy's business is to deliver a new generation of large scale energy projects based on a cleaner and greener use of coal. These results are achieved by using a novel underground coal gasification technique developed with CSIRO.

Link Carbon Energy website
   
  
 
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