Laurus Energy Proposes Low-Cost, Clean Coal Power

Published December 16, 2008

I've become so jaded from hearing the phrase "clean coal" bandied about that Laurus Energy's claim that it actually has developed a source of clean coal leaves me a little skeptical. The company, which recently received $9 million from a venture firm, wants to generate power using underground coal gasification.

The process works by digging a deep production well and putting an industrialized cigar lighter inside of it. This in turn ignites the coal, which turns into synthetic gas and is taken to the surface through another well. The synthetic gas is separated out— CO2 is injected into other wells to take crude oil out of the ground, while hydrogen, methane, and hydrocarbons are burned for energy.

Underground coal gasification is not new, but Laurus holds exclusive rights to the technology in North America.

Laurus' process is not cleaner than alternative energy sources like solar and wind power, but it is drastically cleaner than conventional coal power, which is currently used to produce 49 percent of the United States' energy.

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