The Commonwealth Government announced on June 20, it would further funding of $6 million for the Ultra Clean Coal (UCC) Project, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%. The funds will be in addition to the $7.5 million R&D Start Grant already provided to the Newcastle based project.
The Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin said the Government and the industry had a responsibility to foster revolutionary projects such as this, which would improve the environmental performance of coal.
"The use of UCC with combined cycle combustion turbines can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 24% per unit of electricity compared with conventional coal power stations. Over the whole UCC life cycle, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 10%," Minchin said.
"As well as creating some 20 - 25 jobs immediately, the project presents Newcastle industry with an opportunity to become involved at the ground level of what has the potential to be a world wide technology."
The UCC technology and process is being developed by Kerstream Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of White Industries Australia Limited, in cooperation with the CSIRO (Division of Energy Technology). White Industries is contributing $15.5 million to the project and CSIRO around $4 million.
Ultra clean coal is processed to remove ash by chemical cleaning. In a full-scale plant the chemicals and minerals from the processing operation will be regenerated and reused in other industries. Around $20 m has already been spent in developing UCC.
