Advanced Coal Technology

Abundant coal resources and widespread use are central to the energy systems and growth aspirations of the U.S. and China, which presents both challenges and opportunities for our two countries in environmental performance and commercial development. The Clean Coal, including Carbon Capture and Sequestration consortium addresses technology and practices for clean coal utilization and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Joint research will be conducted in the following areas: integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) with CCS at the million ton scale; large-scale post-combustion CO2 capture, utilization and storage technology; sequestration capacity and near-term opportunities; CO2-algae biofixation and use; theory, development and demonstration of oxyfiring combustion; coal-to-chemicals with capture and co-generation. Dr. Jerald Fletcher from West Virginia University will lead the U.S. Advanced Coal Technology Consortium. Dr. Zheng Chuguang of Huazhong University of Science and Technology will lead the China Advanced Coal Technology Consortium.

These two Advanced Coal Technology Consortia (collectively, the CERC-ACTC) will implement a five-year Joint Work Plan (English PDF Chinese PDF) to significantly advance technology in the area of clean coal, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage, in both China and the United States.

U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to a Technology Management Plan (TMP) regarding intellectual property rights. The Agreement (English PDF Chinese PDF) protects American and Chinese research, scientists, and engineers by ensuring their intellectual property rights for the technology they create.

The CERC Advanced Coal Technology Consortium currently includes the following U.S. members:

  1. Prime Awardee:
    • West Virginia University Research Corporation, WVU (Morgantown, WV)
  2. Sub-Awardees:
    • Lawrence Livermore National Lab (Livermore, CA)
    • University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)
    • University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY)
    • Los Alamos National Lab (Los Alamos, NM)
    • World Resources Institute (Washington, DC)
    • US-China Clean Energy Forum, Washington State China Relations Council (Seattle, WA)
    • Indiana Geological Survey (Bloomington, IN)
    • National Energy Technology Lab, NETL (Morgantown, WV, and Pittsburg, PA)
  3. Other Entities Providing Money or Other Resources
    • Alstom U.S. (Washington, DC)
    • General Electric, various GE Facilities (Houston, TX; Niskayuna, NY)
    • Babcock & Wilcox (Barberton, OH)
    • Duke Energy (Charlotte, NC)
    • American Electric Power (Columbus, OH)
    • Wyoming Geological Survey (Laramie, WY)
    • LP Amina (Charlotte, NC)
    • Ramgen Power Systems (Bellevue, WA)
    • GreatPoint Energy, Inc. (Cambridge, MA)

The CERC Advanced Coal Technology Consortium currently includes the following Chinese members:

  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology
  • Center for Energy & Power, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • China Huaneng Group Clean Energy Research Institute
  • China University of Mining and Technology
  • China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation (CPECC)
  • ENN (XinAo Group)
  • Huaneng Power International, Inc.
  • Institute for Rock & Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science
  • NW University of China
  • Shanghai JiaoTong University
  • Shenhua Group
  • Tsinghua University
  • Yanchang Petroleum
  • Zhejiang University, Hangzhou