Scientists Finally Find Way to Create Clean Fuel From Coal

It now seems that scientists have come up with a way to turn coal and waste into cleaner fuel. This would be done by trapping millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, and thus, keeping it from entering into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists have now named this new process gasification. This is something that is already used to clean up dirty materials before they are used to generate electricity or to make renewable fuels. Overall, the technique involves heating organic matter up to produce a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide called syngas.

Although gasification could be the answer coal companies are looking for, gasification is a very very energy intensive process. Another very big problem is the fact that gasification is also often inefficient, as it sometimes leaves behind a significant amount of solid waste at the end of the overall process.

Right now scientists are working together to find a way to make the process more efficient. This new research is being led by Marco Castaldi at the department of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University. They have found that by adding CO2 into the steam atmosphere of a gasifier, they can turn more of the coal into useful syngas.

Overall, the technique itself has a double benefit for the environment. It is able to provide a use for CO2 that would otherwise escape to the atmosphere. The remaining carbon monoxide can be buried safely underground. It seems like they are on the right track, however, it could take some time before this kind of process is used by companies.