Lignite composition

Mined lignite consists of one third elemental carbon that is permeated with residual groundwater, mineral impurities, and sulphur deposited by prehistoric volcanoes.

The bonding of two oxygen atoms at combustion results in carbon dioxide emissions weighing as much as the fuel itself.

Exhaust cleaning reduces efficiency

The energy lost in burning damp lignite and scrubbing sulphur from the flue gases limits power generating efficiency to between 35% for older plants and 43% in advanced designs. The resulting CO2 emissions per kWh are approximately three times those of clean-burning natural gas.

Oil industry invented CO2 storage

Geological carbon storage in Europe began with CO2 enhanced recovery of oil in the North Sea and natural gas in the Netherlands. The commercial viability of such ventures has been promoted by high carbon taxes in certain countries, beginning with Sweden in 1991 at $100 per ton of CO2. Research on carbon emission reductions was commensurately initiated at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and intensified after the Swedish state-owned Vattenfall AB bought four major lignite power stations in eastern Germany in 2002.

Guest article from Jefffrey H. Michel

Germany mines 175 million metric tons (Mt) of lignite
	or brown coal, per year for producing one quarter of its electricity (150 TWh/a) in 22 GW of mine-mouth power stations.

Lignite worthless for export
	The calorific value lies at 7.8 to 10.5 MJ/kg, half that of firewood, necessitating three times the fuel tonnage of hard coal (27 - 33 MJ/kg) in power generation.

Lignite power plants and open-cast mining
	These installations collectively emit 57 million tons of CO2/a. Lignite is employed both from the companys own mines and from the MIBRAG mining corporation near Leipzig.

Less full load hours at coal power plants
	Under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, conventional power plants have been subordinated to alternative technologies that are granted priority access to the grid.

CSS not competitive?
	If carbon capture should be mandated or subsidized in the European Union, a possible result of 12 current pilot projects,