Sustainable coal technologies play an important role in future energy generation. Northern Europe, the United States, China, India and many other regions world-wide possess extensive coal deposits, which can provide additional energy supply for about 400 years. Since most of these coal deposits are located at depths that do not allow their extraction by conventional mining methods or are determined by low coal quality, their utilization for energy production is not yet economically feasible. Thus, new coal technologies are required for an economic and sustainable utilization also involving the reduction of CO2 emissions from coal combustion. Therefore, the discussion within this session covers the following topics:
- Energy generation from economically unmineable coal deposits
((enhanced) coal bed methane, underground coal gasification, geothermal applications, etc.).
- Economical considerations regarding energy production with combined CO2 capture and storage (Clean Coal Technologies).
- Relevant petrophysical, mineralogical and geotechnical processes in coal seams (laboratory experiments, field-tests, etc.).
- Subsidence mitigation and ground water protection during coal extraction/conversion.
- Wellbore technologies applicable for site development in deep deposits.
- Numerical modelling (coal bed methane extraction, CO2 injection into coal seams, etc.).