Whats up with “Clean Coal” and Carbon Capture and Sequestration?
Many people have asked me about the feasibility of “clean coal” paired with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a genuine option for a more sustainable future. In a previous article I wrote about coal-fired power plants (see AskPablo: Coal-Fired Power Plants) so I won’t beat that dead horse too much. However, I will discuss coal-to-liquids as well as the feasibility of CCS. Some politicians will have you believe that coal-to-liquids is a viable and sustainable alternative to our dependence on oil-based fuels. Whether or not these politicians are from coal-rich states, or which party they belong to I will leave up for you to explore.Here is how a liquid fuel is made from coal: The coal is extracted from the ground via mines or mountain top removalThe coal is transportedThe syngas is converted into liquid hydrocarbons using the Fischer-Tropsch processThe liquid hydrocarbons can be further converted into gasoline or diesel. Unfortunately this process also results in significant quan
