Detailed project information

Emission of industrial cabondioxide as a polluting gas can be reduces by injection in uneconomic deep layered coal seams. At the same time this injected gas (probably flue gas) can be used, as a zero or minus zero option, to produce the relatively clean fossil fuel methane.

This option could play a major role on shorter term already in a transition from the current fossil fuel use, towards a system in which fossil fuels are used with near zero Greenhouse Gas emission levels. For easy situated shallow coal seams this technique is under development in the US. Deep seams, such as in the Netherlands have different conditions; higher rock and pore pressures, lower permeabilities and the presence of water in the coal. These geo-environmental problems have to be solved, with the use of gas, liquid of super critical carbondioxide, to get storage capacity and methane production. Further the geotechnical risk on gas injection andproduction and the development of installations for this new technique for densely populated and /or industrial areas will be investigated.

These insights are strongly desired to allow for assessment of the techno-economic feasibility of this option and gaining insight in safety and ecological aspects related to CBM systems. The results of this project will be integrated in a system analyses of advanced sustainable fossil fuel based energy systems and transitions schemes to obtain such a new system.