The aim of this study is to quantify and discuss the link between
carbon capture technologies and coal consumption in the context of
available coal resources and likely long-term production pathways.
This is done in four steps. Firstly, energy penalties (EPs) are reviewed
for three main CCS technology options: pre-combustion, oxy-fuel
combustion and post-combustion. Descriptive statistics for estimated
EPs found in the literature are derived and presented. Secondly, published
CCS scenarios are reviewed with respect to the projected
amount of CCS deployment and assumed EPs. Thirdly, EPs found in the
literature are used in three CCS deployment scenarios, each with three
different technology combinations, described here as technology
pathways. For each scenario and technology pathway the associated
coal consumption is estimated and compared with an equivalent net
energy output coal scenario without capture technology. Lastly,
resource constrained outlooks for coal production are compiled and
compared with the implied coal consumption for different CCS scenarios.
Strategic issues raised by the additional coal requirements of
CCS are then discussed.