Clean Coal: A Compendium of Canada’s Participation

May 21, 2007

The Government of Canada through Natural Resources Canada, Industry Canada, and Environment Canada recently conducted a study looking at the coal industry in Canada. The Government recognized that coal remains a key component of Canada’s diverse energy supply picture, accounting for as much as 20% of electricity generation, with three provinces (Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Alberta) almost fully reliant on coal. It also noted that a substantial portion of coal resources can be recovered at costs that are a fraction of the current prices for oil and natural gas. However, the study also recognized the serious impact coal has on the environment through such emissions as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) and mercury.

The study illustrated how the importance of retaining coal as a viable option for future electricity production has given rise to a great deal of work in Canada and across the world to identify, develop and implement clean coal technologies. These needed technologies must be capable of approaching near-zero air emissions yet be implemented without excessive cost while providing low financial and operating risk.

One of the reports goals was to provide brief descriptions of the principal Canadian organizations and the international organizations involved in clean coal technology. Airborne Clean Energy is very excited to have been highlighted in the report.

Airborne Clean Energy

What is it?  Airborne Clean Energy is a Calgary-based company formed to develop and
commercialize an emissions reduction process for coal-fired power stations.  

Role played in Canadian Clean Coal Activities  The company is commercializing its
process in Canada and elsewhere to reduce the costs of removing SOx, NOx and mercury
from coal-fired power station emissions.

Description  Formed in 1995, Airborne developed and patented a process that reduces
the multiple forms of pollution caused when burning high sulphur fuels to generate
electricity (the Airborne Process). The process is the only multi-pollutant technology
recognized for award in either round 1 or round 2 of the US Department of Energy’s
Clean Coal Power Initiative. 

The company states that by employing the Airborne Process, power producers not only
reduce their polluting emissions but can transform pollutants, through Airborne's
proprietary regeneration process, into a high-quality granular fertilizer.  Airborne’s
technology uses a combination of dry sodium bicarbonate injection, wet sodium
carbonate scrubbing and advanced chemical oxidants to scrub regulated pollutants (SO2,
SO3, NOx and Hg)  from flue gas while turning the SO2, SO3 and NOx into a marketable
fertilizer. 

The company asserts that the recovery of SO2, SO3, NOx and Hg with the Airborne
system is the highest guaranteed in coal-fired energy, including IGCC systems.  The
capital and operating costs for pollution control are significantly less than traditional
systems.

Current Projects include Saskatchewan Minerals, Canada.   The company has also entered into advanced discussions to commercialize the technology in China.

The complete report is available as a PDF file on Natural Resources Canada website:

http://www.rncan-nrcan.gc.ca/com/resoress/publications/carbone/coalcarbon-eng.php