CLEAN COAL China Leads the Global Race to Cleaner Coal Coal used for power generation has been the cornerstone of economic development, social progress, and a higher quality of life around the globe and is now fueling the 21st-century economic miracle rapidly unfolding in China. Meanwhile, China is leading the world in coal-fired plant efficiency and the deployment of clean coal technologies. By Jude Clemente, San Diego State University ver the past 20 years, coal has increased its share of total power generation from 72% to 80%, providing electricity for the first time to more than 500 million people. electrification rate is now 99%, compared to less than 60% in 1990, while annual per capita consumption has soared from 500 kWh to 2,900 kWh. China more than tripled its share of global coal-based generation from 11% in 1990 (471 TWh) to 37% in 2011 (3,170 TWh). The economic benefits for the Asian nation are obvious. For example, the World Human Development Indicators show that around 85% of the global population that rose out of poverty since 1990 was Chinese. As the world strives to eliminate energy poverty while simultaneously meeting rising demand, unprecedented progress has set an example. Consider projections of future generation sources made by the International Energy World Energy Model and the U.S. Energy Information National Energy Modeling System (Figure 1). The bulk of new demand will occur in the developing world, where massive amounts of affordable and reliable power are required to lift hundreds of millions into the modern age. In short, the world will continue to use coal, and consumption will significantly expand for decades to come. Clean coal technologies will be the means to meet both burgeoning global energy demand and climate policy goals. Some are expected to be deployable at scale in the early-2020s, while the evolving technology of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and near-zero emissions are expected to follow shortly thereafter. Until that time, highly efficient and large supercritical (SC) and ultrasupercritical (USC) coal plants can meet immediate needs while significantly reducing emissions intensity. In fact, efficient plants are a prerequisite for retrofitting with CCS, because the capturing, transporting, and storing of a carbon dioxide (CO2) consumes energy. The teaming of higher efficiency coal-fired Different projections. Reference scenarios for incremental sources of electricity for China through 2030 differ but agree that coal will remain a major player. The International Energy World Energy Outlook 2011 numbers are shown on the left, and U.S. Energy Information International Energy Outlook 2011 numbers are shown on the right. Sources: IEA, EIA Other; 11% Other; 15% Coal; 30% Hydro; 16% Hydro; 10% Coal; 45% Nuclear; 8% Nuclear; 18% Gas; 22% December 2012 Gas; 25% technologies and CCS will unlock the full value of coal. In this race, China enjoys a global lead. Clean Coal Technology Plans and Achievements U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu reports that advanced coal-based power plants are one of the seven energy arenas in which China is outpacing the U.S. Here are some of the ways in which China is leading the race. Initiated in 2007, dual programs of Large Substituting for Small (LSS) and Energy Conservation Power Generation (ECPG) are expected to result in the of over 114 GW of small, inefficient plants and the addition of 112 GW of more efficient SC units. In short, future growth in generation capacity centers on evolving from 300-MW and 600-MW subcritical boilers to larger and more efficient SC and USC boilers ranging in size from 600 MW to 1,000 MW. These advanced plants produce almost 40% fewer emissions than many existing coal plants, thereby making them cleaner. The rule of thumb is that a 1% increase in plant efficiency reduces as CO2, SO2, NOx, and approximately 2%. According to the IEA, the average operating efficiency of the existing coal plant fleet is under 29%. New SC plants, however, can achieve overall thermal efficiencies in the 44% range, and USC units can reach 46% to 48%. China has deployed some of the most efficient coal power stations, such as Shanghai Waigaiqiao Unit 3, which has a peak efficiency of over 46%. China is also rapidly proceeding with GreenGen, a $1 billion initiative in Tianjin to advance near-zero-emissions coal-based electricity with hydrogen production and