De problematiek van de ondergrondse vergassing van steenkolen

Abstract

Underground gasification on an industrial basis seems not applicable to European coalreserves. This conclusion is based on considerations of a technical, environmental and - especially – commercial nature. The main technical problems for European conditions are described: combustion process control, roof control, joining boreholes, control and elimination of leakage (incl. short circuit and leakage of combustion gas to the banking level), water influx into the gasification area, geological features, etc. Past experiments are very disappointing and indicate that no solution whatsoever was found for the numerous and complex technical problems. From an environmental point of view, a number of drawbacks are presented. In commercial respect underground gasification of European coal is not competitive at all because the calorific cost price of the gas produced is quite at variance with current and future prices for energy. This price discrepancy is of such a magnitude that there is serious doubt about the commercial viability of this energy source even on the very long range. Finally, no serious argument can be put forward from a strategic point of view, because of the minute share in European energy supply even in case of a large scale underground gasification program.