Clean Coal Technologies for Power Generation

This chapter focuses on the cleanup of potentially harmful gaseous emissions from coal plants. Coal has been the principal source of fuel and energy for many hundreds of years. The increased use and popularity of coal is due to the relative ease of accessibility which has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries. Burning coal, such as for power generation, gives rise to a variety of wastes which must be controlled or at least accounted for. Some of this solid waste is removed with the bed ash through the bottom of the boiler. Small ash particles, or fly ash, that escapes the boiler is captured with dust collectors. More than 90% of the sulfur released from coal can be captured in this manner. Carbon capture and sequestration, is the clean coal concept being promoted the most prominently.