The present and future of clean coal technology

Based on the primary energy characteristics of China, the current status and future development of clean coal technologies, including large-scale ultra-super-critical (USC) power generators, flue gas cleaning, circulating fluidized-bed combustion (CFBC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology,and coal washing are analyzed in details. It can be concluded that, in the short term, USC generation with flue gas cleaning and CFBC will be the two major clean coal technologies in China. However, IGCC, oxy-fuel combustion (especially pressurized oxy-fuel combustion), and CO2 capture and storage are of great potential and are worth developing in the long term.