Key technologies for low-carbon modern coal-based energy

Coal energy has made a significant contribution to the development of human industrialization, but coal energy is faced with the major problem of high carbon emissions. Modern coal-based energy is a new path to crack the contradiction between coal energy and carbon. It can realize independent and controllable energy based on China’s resource endowment, enhance the autonomy of China’s oil and gas, support the clean transformation of electricity and the development of the renewable energy industry, and is an important innovative direction for guaranteeing energy security and realizing the dual-carbon goal. Based on the concept and technical system of modern coal-based energy, this paper systematically introduces the connotation and product lineage of modern coal-based energy. By analyzing and discussing the five core technology modules, 19 technical units and 61 key technologies of modern coal-based energy, including the new technologies such as coal-based gas, coal-based oil, coal-based hydrogen, coal-based electricity production, and dynamic carbon neutrality in mining area, ten revolutionary technologies for the development of low carbonization coal-based energy are proposed: ① Intelligent underground coal gasification technology based on self-moving plasma gasification machine which has the functions of automatic combustion, propulsion, sealing, monitoring and controlling; ② The coupling of underground coal gasification and indirect liquefaction can form a low-cost, low-emission, short-process coal-to-oil route (UCG-ICL); ③ In situ retorting chemical mining technology of oil-rich coal using solar heating or hot dry rock heating;④ In the deep coal underground gasification hydrogen production path (UCG-H₂) based on in-situ carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), recycled CO₂ is used as a gasification agent to improve the production of effective components of coal gas, and captured CO₂ is stored in the underground gasification cavity to form a zero-emission UCG-H₂ technical route. ⑤ nanometer hydrogen-rich coal water slurry hydrogen-mixed power generation technology to achieve low-carbon coal-based power production at low temperature and low pressure, and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions of coal power; ⑥ The Low carbon power generation system concept of underground coal gasification coupled with IGCC (UCG+IGCC) reduces the coal-to-gas process of IGCC and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. ⑦ Pulverized coal deflagration linear drive power generation technology structure, the theoretical work energy is more than 15 times of coal combustion; ⑧ Based on the CO₂ hydrogenation synthesis “green methanol” route of modern coal-based energy recycling, methanol is synthesized from coal-based “blue hydrogen” produced by low-carbon UCG and captured CO₂; ⑨ The CO₂ in situ storage technology system generated by modern coal-based energy can help achieve zero-carbon coal-based energy production; ⑩ Dynamic carbon neutral coal-based energy system architecture in mining area, coupling intelligent supply protection, green development, clean transformation, low-carbon utilization and clean emission in a closed-loop system in mining area to achieve dynamic carbon neutrality in mining area.