article thumbnail

Converting Coal Power Plants to Nuclear Gains Steam

Cars That Think

On a planet aspiring to become carbon neutral, the once-stalwart coal power plant is an emerging anachronism. It is true that, in much of the developing world, coal-fired capacity continues to grow. But in every corner of the globe, political and financial pressures are mounting to bury coal in the past.

Coal 145
article thumbnail

Tsinghua University provincial-level lifecycle study finds fuel-cycle criteria pollutants of EVs in China could be up to 5x those of natural gas vehicles due to China’s coal-dominant power mix

Green Car Congress

In regions where the share of coal-based electricity is relatively low, EVs can achieve substantial GHG reduction, the team reports in a paper in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. emissions are less important because of the low contribution of light duty vehicles to national PM 10 and PM 2.5

Coal 231
article thumbnail

Transform Materials plasma process converts abundant natural gas into high-value hydrogen and acetylene

Green Car Congress

With its innovative technology, Transform Materials breaks down methane and other similar light hydrocarbon gases without oxygen, recombining the resulting fragments into two high-value end products, acetylene and hydrogen. But methane is extremely inert in an oxygen-free environment and resists chemical reactions.

Convert 395
article thumbnail

Northwestern/Princeton study explores air quality impacts of aggressive conversion to EVs

Green Car Congress

This despite evidence that suggests air pollution impacts from the transportation sector exceed those from greenhouse gases. … solar, wind, hydroelectric, and nuclear) as compared to the eastern US (EUS), where the electricity market is dominated by pollutant and precursor emitting combustion sources (i.e., —Schnell et al.

article thumbnail

Harvard study links short-term exposure to PM2.5 with risks of common but rarely studied causes of hospital admissions; substantial economic costs

Green Car Congress

The study shows that the health dangers and economic impacts of air pollution are significantly larger than previously understood. Fine particulate air pollution is composed of tiny solids and liquids floating in the air that come from sources such as motor vehicles, coal-fired power plants, and wildfires.

Pollution 332
article thumbnail

DOE selects 8 new advanced coal projects for funding by University Coal Research Program

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected eight new projects to further advanced coal research under the University Coal Research Program. The selected projects are intended to improve coal conversion and use and will help propel technologies for future advanced coal power systems. DOE Share: $299,998).

Coal 210
article thumbnail

EPA: US greenhouse gases up 2% in 2013; increased coal consumption, cool winter

Green Car Congress

The increase from 2012 to 2013 was due to an increase in the carbon intensity of fuels consumed to generate electricity due to an increase in coal consumption, with decreased natural gas consumption, according to the report. By sector, power plants were the largest source of emissions, accounting for 31% of total US greenhouse gas pollution.

2013 150