JAKARTA - Chinese scientists claim to have successfully created a coal fuel cell that has the potential to cut carbon dioxide emissions to zero. If proven to be widely applicable, this technology can change the way coal-fired power plants work.
Reported by The Independent, Tuesday, April 28, the technology was developed by scientists at Shenzhen University. They call it zero-carbon-emission direct coal fuel cell or ZC-DCFC.
Unlike a regular coal plant, this system does not burn coal to produce steam and turn a turbine. The coal is first crushed, dried, then given special treatment before entering the anode chamber of the fuel cell.
Oxygen is then fed into the cathode. The coal in the anode undergoes electrochemical oxidation through the oxide membrane.
From the reaction, carbon dioxide still appears. The difference is that the gas is captured inside the fuel cell system, then converted into valuable chemical raw materials, including synthesis gas or syngas.
Scientists say these cells are capable of generating energy with an efficiency of up to 40 percent. A study published in the journal Energy Reviews said the system avoids the loss of efficiency that usually occurs in combustion processes and thermal engines.
Direct carbon fuel cells are not a new idea. Previous models were limited by short lifetimes and low power densities. This latest design is claimed to be easier to scale up in the form of a stack of cells and has a higher efficiency of converting carbon into energy.
This finding is important because the old way of burning coal has a big problem, namely a high carbon footprint and large amounts of air pollution.
The researchers said ZC-DCFC could open up a path for the use of coal with near-zero emissions. The technology is also said to have the potential to transform coal from a traditional fossil fuel into a viable source of clean energy.
Even so, the claim of "zero emissions" still needs to be read carefully. This technology still requires further study to ensure a suitable implementation scenario in the energy sector.
Researchers also highlighted the world's rapidly depleting shallow coal reserves. Mining is now being driven to depths of more than 2,000 meters.
In these conditions, ZC-DCFC is proposed to transform and utilize coal directly from the in-situ geological environment more efficiently for power generation.
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