Coal gasification is a process that transforms Coal into a Synthetic gas (Syngas), consisting of mixture of gasses such as Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrogen (H2), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Water vapor (H2O).
- Syngas can be used to produce a wide range of Fertilizers, Fuels, solvents and synthetic materials.
- Preparation: Coal is crushed into a fine powder to increase its surface area and enhance the chemical reactions during the process.
- Gasification Reactor: The crushed coal is introduced into a high-temperature and high-pressure reactor along with limited oxygen or air and steam.
- Chemical Reactions: In the absence of sufficient oxygen for complete combustion, the coal undergoes a series of complex chemical reactions.
- Gas Cleaning: The raw syngas produced from the reactor contains impurities like tar, sulfur, and dust. These impurities need to be removed through a gas cleaning process before the syngas can be used further.
Advantages
- Gasification boosts efficiency to 50%+ in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants versus 30–40% in traditional coal plants, via gas turbine plus steam recovery.
- It cuts local pollutants (sulfur, particulates) through pre-use cleaning and enables >90% CO₂ capture potential.
- Applications include power, hydrogen, liquids (CTL), and chemicals, reducing oil import reliance
Source: The Economic Times