Just a bit of reading for anyone interested in the proving up of the CHTD process for the Bacchus Marsh Export Project. Following is some comments by Martin Ferguson re CCS which is compatible with MRC DICE and named a game changer by Ferguson favourite the Global CCS Institute. Also some links linking MRC DICE and Exergen's CHTD tech which show why the Vic & Fed Gov will likely be looking favourably at Exergen's RFP when submitted in next couple of months. All IMO and DYOR
Policy Settings to Develop a 21st Century Resource
17 April 2012 International Symposium on the Sustainable Use of Low Rank Coals 2012 Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne
Good evening and welcome to our many international guests.
This event provides an ideal opportunity for the world’s major low-rank coal producers to discuss industry developments, challenges and opportunities.
Rising energy costs, energy security and concerns about climate change are all driving us to take another look at how we use this resource and ask – can we extract more value?
As we all know, brown coal is predominantly used as a low cost fuel source for electricity generation.
Due to its high moisture content, low economic value and risk of combustion during transportation, brown coal without modification has been limited to use at the mine mouth.
However, technological developments and rising global energy prices are now offering the potential to change this – and in doing so offering the potential for new industries and jobs for the local communities that harbour the resource.
Here in Victoria, we could begin to see the first shipments of modified brown coal to export markets in the not too distant future.
Australian context
Of course, Australia is blessed with a range of resources.
Iron ore in the Pilbara, LNG off the North West Shelf, coal from the Hunter Valley and Central Queensland, and soon coal seam gas out of Gladstone.
These regions have been, and will be, the powerhouses behind our major energy exports.
But, Victoria has tended not to be considered a resource rich state when compared to these mining giants.
This is despite one of the largest easily accessible brown coal reserves in the world - equating to about 9 per cent of the world's recoverable brown coal reserves.
Indeed, this low-cost energy source has allowed Victoria to become the country’s leading manufacturing state.
Since the 1920's brown coal has powered the Victorian economy and continues to provide about 90 per cent of Victoria’s electricity generation today.
Thanks to the low-cost electricity it generates, brown coal has underpinned the development of Victoria's manufacturing base such as automotive and provided a basis for the cement and paper industries.
Certainly, the aluminium smelters at Portland and Point Henry would not be here without access to the cheap electricity powered by Victoria's brown coal.
However, new technologies are generating interest in what was otherwise seen as a resource limited to domestic electricity generation.
These technologies have the potential to allow Victoria to export brown coal and allow the Latrobe Valley to join the ranks of Australia's other great mining regions.
But I don't see the opportunities for Victoria ending there.
Victoria with its leading research Universities is also well placed to draw on this expertise to become technology leaders in the transformation of Victoria’s brown coal resource.
The Australian Government is committed to working with Victoria to develop these low emission technologies and bring new employment opportunities to Victoria.
Coal in a clean economy
Australia and the world are increasingly seeking energy sources with a low carbon output, and developing ways to reduce the emissions associated with burning coal.
There are of course those that believe this is an objective not worth pursuing – that Australia should just flick the switch to 100 per cent renewables.
But this ignores the reality that 80 per cent of Australia's electricity is used by industry who require cost effective base load power – something renewables cannot yet deliver.
The Australian Government nonetheless accepts its responsibilities towards lowering national emissions on a trajectory that allows Australia's economy to continue to grow.
We are committed to reducing Australia’s carbon emissions by at least five per cent of 2000 levels by 2020.
To make this a reality, Australia is putting a $23 price tag on a tonne of carbon emissions from July this year, before moving to a flexible price in 2015.
This economic reform is necessary if we are to put Australia on the path to a modern low emission economy.
And technology will be the key to making this happen.
The Australian Government has put in place a comprehensive framework to support the development of the technology needed for the Australia of tomorrow.
This includes today’s announcement that the Australian Government supports the recommendations of the independent Clean Energy Finance Corporation Expert Review.
The $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation is designed to encourage private investment and help overcome capital market barriers to commercialising and deploying cleaner energy technologies.
It will operate and make its investment decisions independently of the Government and focus its investments on renewable energy, low-emissions and energy efficiency technology.
We are aiming to legislate the Corporation in the coming Budget sittings and commence its investment operations from 1 July 2013.
I have met with Jillian Broadbent and was pleased to hear her intent to ensure the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will bring to bear the utmost rigour in assessing its investments.
But the Finance Corporation is just one measure in over $17 billion dollars worth of investment in clean energy that also includes the Carbon Capture and Storage Flagships Program, and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Don't be mistaken - Australia is a world leader when it comes to developing technology.
And I believe Australia’s ingenuity in research and development can extend to the development of world leading clean energy technologies.
It makes sense that Australia invests in our own clean energy technologies.
After all, energy resources dominate Australia's exports, so of course we should be investing in technology that can increase the value of our resources.
This will lead to the opportunity for new industries and jobs in areas like the Latrobe Valley that others may have assumed would face a downturn in a carbon constrained economy.
Carbon capture and storage
Take for instance carbon capture and storage.
It is arguably the most effective avenue for dealing with brown coal’s direct emissions.
The International Energy Agency considers CCS the only available technology that can be retro-fitted to reduce emissions from large scale fossil fuel use of any kind.
This is because CCS is not a new technology.
The individual components of carbon capture and storage have been commercially proven for more than a decade in the oil and gas sector.
That is why the G8 has set a goal of 20 large scale carbon capture and storage projects to be operating by 2020.
Australia is a world leader when it comes to global efforts on carbon capture and storage.
In recognition of our leadership role, and the enduring importance of coal to Australia's economy, the Australian Government established the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute in 2009.
The purpose of the Institute is to share expertise and knowledge around the world in order to accelerate large scale CCS technology in the industrial and power sectors.
The Global CCS Institute has 330 member countries that are responsible for over 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Currently, the Global CCS Institute is supporting 15 studies at projects around the world, including four projects in Australia.
And beyond the Institute, Australia continues to make notable domestic advancements in CCS.
Australia has the most comprehensive CCS regulatory framework of any nation.
We have released the world’s first competitive exploration acreage for carbon dioxide storage.
And Australia’s first large scale CCS project, will also be the world's largest Carbon Capture and Storage project.
The Gorgon natural gas project on Barrow Island off the coast of Western Australia will store up to four million tonnes of CO2 a year, an amount over three times the size of today’s largest CO2 storage project.
Gorgon is expected to begin injecting CO2 from 2015.
On top of this, Australia’s $1.68 billion CCS Flagships Program is supporting the development of two large scale CCS projects – the CarbonNet project here in Victoria and the Collie South West Hub in Western Australia.
The task for CCS Flagships projects is to demonstrate that they can work in an integrated system on a suitable scale.
The multi-user CarbonNet project in the Gippsland region aims to store between three and five megatonnes of carbon dioxide per annum from coal-fired power plants and local industries.
In February this year, Victorian Minister O’Brien and I jointly announced a $100 million commitment to investigate the staged development of the CarbonNet project, including the potential for pipelines to link emission sources and storage sites further afield.
This technology is important to provide the potential for a new industry to develop with skilled workers adding real value to their local economy.
The Government is aiming to have these flagship CCS projects commercially deployed by 2020, in line with that G8 goal.
Another Victorian CCS project, in the Otway basin, has already stored more than 65,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
National and international scientists have praised its monitoring program as the best in the world.
Then of course we are working to extract greater value from our coal resource through programs such as the $370 million National Low Emissions Coal Initiative.
It focuses on developing technologies that support carbon capture and storage, including research and development into coal gasification, CO2 capture technologies and geological storage.
It incorporates a national carbon mapping and infrastructure plan, and helped establish the Australia-China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technology.
Working collaboratively, the Group is progressing the development of a large scale CCS demonstration project in China.
Measures such as these are important to attracting the investment needed in Australia's clean coal technology.
And Australia is a great place to invest in clean coal.
We have the resources and we have a highly skilled workforce and high tech research institutions to bring them to market.
Conclusion
There is clearly a lot of funding and a lot of thought going into managing and reducing emissions from brown coal.
The Australian and Victorian Governments are committed to working together to develop technologies that can provide for its higher value processing.
As well as safeguarding Gippsland communities and the industries that coal-fired electricity supports, our actions are creating completely new opportunities for Australia.
We are at the forefront of investigations into carbon capture and storage technology and its initial deployment.
And we are leading the charge into the more effective utilisation of fossil fuels.
The knowledge, skills and technologies we are developing are great assets and will be in increasing international demand in the coming years.
This Symposium is testament to that fact and I thank the Victorian Government for organising it.
MRC – DICE – CCS – A game changer for electricity production with carbon capture?
01 Aug 2012 | Martin Oettinger
I recently had the opportunity to pose some questions to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) Manager Advanced Carbon Power, Louis Wibberley regarding a promising approach to power generation with low carbon emissions potential: MRC – DICE – CCS. I wanted to share with you some of the results of this excellent Q&A which has been developed together with Louis.
What is MRC?
MRC stands for Micronised Refined Carbons.
Micronising involves fine milling a solid carbonaceous (carbon-containing) material to about 10-60 microns (60 microns is the diameter of a human hair).
Refining involves physically cleaning the carbonaceous material, so as to remove most of the mineral matter to produce a fuel with approximately 1 per cent mineral content. Both milling and refining use technology capable of being deployed at large capacity/scale.
The fine carbonaceous material and water are combined to produce a 'paint-like' material containing 40-50 per cent water which can be used as an alternative fuel to heavy (marine) diesel oil and used in large diesel engines, or a direct injection carbon engine (DICE).
The production of MRC through several different processes is progressing through different stages of research, development and demonstration.
A Micronised Refined Carbon Fuel (source - CSIRO)
What feed stocks are suitable for making MRC?
DICE fuel can be prepared from several different carbonaceous (carbon containing) materials. These include: black coal (micronised and refined); brown coal and lignites (thermally pre-treated, micronised and refined); biomass (such as chars; thermally pre-treated, micronised and refined); and biomass (such as algae or algae-byproduct 'soups').
