High-Carbon Lignite Impedes German Climate Policy
Guest article from Jefffrey H. Michel about CCS, brown coal (lignite) in Germany and the problems with the German climate politics.
| Germany mines 175 million metric tons (Mt) of lignite
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or brown coal, per year for producing one quarter of its electricity (150 TWh/a) in 22 GW of mine-mouth power stations.
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| Lignite worthless for export
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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.
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| Lignite composition
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Mined lignite consists of one third elemental carbon that is permeated with residual groundwater, mineral impurities, and sulphur deposited by prehistoric volcanoes.
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| Lignite power plants and open-cast mining
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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.
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| Less full load hours at coal power plants
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Under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, conventional power plants have been subordinated to alternative technologies that are granted priority access to the grid.
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| CSS not competitive?
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If carbon capture should be mandated or subsidized in the European Union, a possible result of 12 current pilot projects,
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