"Coal purification projects are already being implemented in Russia"

In the era of climate change, the coal industry is undergoing a massive transformation. Evgeny Renge, founder of ASR-Group, told Izvestia what "clean coal" is and how modern technologies help reduce harmful emissions while maintaining energy stability.

— Tell us, please, what is "clean coal"?

— If we imagine coal as an opponent of the environment, then "clean coal" is its corrected version. We use modern technologies to reduce the harmful effects on nature.

For example, coal concentrate with a minimum sulfur content (less than 0.5%) is considered the highest quality coal. However, even the highest quality coal needs to be "pumped" to meet the requirements of today.

Therefore, to reduce greenhouse gas, sulfur and ash emissions from the use of coal throughout the production chain, special technologies are used that make coal a more environmentally friendly type of fuel.

— And how exactly do technologies make coal "clean"?

— Clean coal technologies are the result of several generations of scientific and technological achievements. Almost all approaches can be divided into two directions.

Firstly, coal can be purified even before it is burned at coal-fired thermal power plants or coking at metallurgical plants, removing sulfur and ash content by enrichment. The basic technologies of modern enrichment plants are enrichment in heavy media and flotation.

Secondly, further processing of coal may include the stages of semi-coking or pyrolysis, which makes it possible to obtain finished products with minimal emissions of harmful substances.

In addition, it is worth noting the growing number of ultra-supercritical coal-fired thermal power plants. They make it possible to reduce coal consumption due to higher temperatures and pressures in steam boilers, which, in turn, reduces harmful emissions.

Additional environmental efficiency is provided by installations for carbon dioxide capture, desulfurization and purification of emissions, electrostatic precipitators and other modern technologies. All this makes coal-fired power more environmentally friendly.

— How much do these technologies help to reduce emissions?

— Very much. CO2 emissions will be reduced by half. And if a full cycle of "purification" technology is applied, carbon capture can reduce emissions by 90%.

— But surely the technology is expensive?

— Yes, carbon capture, for example, requires high energy consumption — up to 60% of the total energy of the process. But it's an investment in the future. When technologies become widespread, their cost will decrease. And the environmental consequences can no longer be ignored — they are more expensive.

— Which countries are actively buying "clean coal" today?

— We are actively deepening our work with friendly countries — the UAE, India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam. For the most part, the countries of the Pacific region and the Middle East.

— And which industries are most interested in "clean coal"?

— Coal is used in metallurgy, as well as in the energy and chemical industries. According to market analysts, the role of coal in the energy sector will decrease in the long term. At the same time, demand for metallurgical coal in India is expected to grow, and pure coal is the best choice for use.

— What are the main challenges for producers of "clean coal"?

— The cost of technology, high energy intensity of processes, competition with gas and renewable sources. Another challenge is the need for government support and stimulating demand for "green" technologies.

— What does Russia look like against the background of world leaders?

— Coal purification projects are already being implemented in Russia. As an example, we can cite the comprehensive scientific and technical program "Clean Coal - Green Kuzbass", proclaimed by ex—governor Sergey Tsivilev, now Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation and received federal support. The program provides for the interaction of science, technology and equipment developers, and customers.

— And how competitive is Russian "clean coal"?

— Our cleaning technologies are among the highest quality in the world. Successfully developing trade relations and logistics with Asian countries, China and India allow us to reduce transportation costs and strengthen our positions. However, in order to remain competitive in the context of global decarbonization and stricter environmental standards, it is important to develop coal purification technologies, invest in infrastructure, and actively diversify sales markets. Which, in turn, we are doing.

— How does climate change affect the development of "clean coal"?

— The climate agenda is literally pushing the coal industry to innovate. ESG standards are being implemented everywhere, and companies are striving to reduce their carbon footprint. This is both a challenge and a driver for the industry.

— What standards confirm the environmental friendliness of coal?

— ESG standards and national carbon footprint requirements. They determine how environmentally friendly a product is. The lower the sulfur content and CO2 emissions, the better.

— What technologies can be a breakthrough?

— The development of carbon capture, pyrolysis, and biotechnologies such as biodesulfuration are promising areas. Already, ultra-supercritical thermal power plants demonstrate efficiency of up to 50%, and this is just the beginning of the way. Technologies for tamping coal charges before coking, as well as reducing the ash content of coal, can become breakthrough for metallurgy. This will lead to a significant reduction in the consumption of metallurgical coke in the blast furnace process and, consequently, to a sharp reduction in CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere.

— And how developed is the market for "clean coal"?

— It is difficult to single it out in statistics, because purification technologies are often introduced at the stage of coal use. But it is obvious that the market is growing, especially in countries with strict environmental standards.

— What about the long-term future of the coal industry?

— Coal will not disappear, but its role will change. "Clean coal" will become an important transitional fuel that will help countries reduce emissions and smoothly transition to renewable energy.

— Can we say that coal will become "green"?

— It's unlikely to be completely green. But technology is already making it cleaner and safer for the environment. Of course, all technological advances are possible only if we have our own scientific and production base. On our part, active work is already underway in this direction, and the state import substitution program is gradually beginning to bear fruit. Today, Russian enterprises are increasing their capacities, mastering new technologies and reducing their dependence on foreign supplies. We are actively involved in this process, contributing to the development of advanced coal technologies.

I am convinced that the refusal to cooperate with unfriendly countries such as the EU and Australia will become an incentive for the accelerated development of the domestic coal industry. In the coming years, this will lead to Russia becoming a leader in the production and use of "clean" coal by 2030. As a result, Kuzbass, as the country's largest coal-producing region, will be able to truly become "green."