Facing China's Coal Future - IEA

Facing China’s Coal Future: Prospects and Challenges for CCS © OECD/IEA 2011
Page | 24
are applicable to a range of industrial sectors and applications, with the potential to develop cobenefits
and encourage technology crossover for applications in related industries. It will be
crucial to identify near‐term opportunities that may provide incentives for early demonstration
and deployment of CCS technologies without losing sight of climate mitigation objectives.
However, officials from NDRC have indicated that the focus is on utilisation of CO 2 as a
commercial opportunity rather than storage without any economic benefits (NDRC, 2011) (Figure
10 and Table 4).
Figure 10 CO 2 utilisation by classification of application
Source: Ai Ying Ying, 2010, IEA
China’s RD&D programmes in support of CCUS currently focus on carbon capture from advanced
power generation (i.e. IGCC); oxy‐fuel combustion and chemical looping, and high‐purity
industrial CO 2 sources (i.e. coal‐to‐liquids, hydrogen production for refineries, coal‐to‐chemicals
and ammonia production). In terms of CO 2 utilisation, EOR and ECBM recovery are current areas
of focus for government‐funded CCUS research projects.
As funding for R&D and demonstration in this area grows, it is important to consider the
development of a path that will lead to maximised mitigation of CO 2 emissions and permanence
of CO 2 sequestration at a reduced cost. Many existing and potential uses of CO 2 do not ensure
the permanent removal of CO 2 from the atmosphere. While current CCUS activity, both globally
and in China, focuses on enhancing the commercial viability of projects, it is important not to lose
sight of the ultimate goal to permanently contain the CO 2 .
CO 2 utilisation in chemicals production
Use of CO 2 as a raw material in the chemical industry may also offer utilisation potential in China.
By means of catalytic direct synthesis, catalytic hydrogenation and catalytic reforming, CO 2 may
be transformed into urea, an important product used as a chemical raw material, along with
dimethyl carbonate, low‐carbon hydrocarbons, aldehydes and derivatives, oxygenated
alternative fuels, reformed methane and other chemical products. (Shen Guoliang, 2009).