article thumbnail

OSU team develops process to clean coal mine drainage and extract rare earth elements

Green Car Congress

Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a novel process to clean coal mine drainage and extract rare-earth elements from it. Coal mine drainage (CMD) impairs tens of thousands of kilometers of U.S. waterways each year, in part with the leaching of low concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs). Miranda et al.

Coal 283
article thumbnail

Extracting rare earth elements from coal with plasma assist

Green Car Congress

The US National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is collaborating with the University of Kentucky and their subcontractor Virginia Tech to demonstrate a novel process for the extraction of REEs from coal using plasma. However, domestic coal is of interest as a potentially abundant and easily accessible REE source in the US.

Coal 453
article thumbnail

Study finds methane emissions from coal mines ~50% higher than previously thought

Green Car Congress

The amount of methane released into the atmosphere as a result of coal mining is likely approximately 50% higher than previously estimated, according to research presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The authors point out that less coal production doesn’t translate to less methane.

Coal 321
article thumbnail

Rhodium Group estimates US GHG fell 2.1% in 2019, driven by coal decline

Green Car Congress

This decline was due almost entirely to a drop in coal consumption. Coal-fired power generation fell by a record 18% year-on-year to its lowest level since 1975. An increase in natural gas generation offset some of the climate gains from this coal decline, but overall power sector emissions still decreased by almost 10%.

Coal 370
article thumbnail

Norwegian startup Blastr plans €4B green steel plant in Finland

Green Car Congress

Blastr has entered into a Letter of Intent with Nordic energy company Fortum that provides Blastr exclusive rights to utilize the existing industrial site located in Joddböle, Inkoo in Finland, 55 km west of Helsinki. Fortum has developed the Joddböle area since the dismantling of its Inkoo coal-fired power plant there in 2017-2020.

Finland 437
article thumbnail

EIA: India’s steel industry dominated by electric-based processes; intensive coal use for DRI

Green Car Congress

Two unique features of the steel industry in India are the large-scale use of electric induction furnaces for electric-based steelmaking rather than electric arc furnaces and the reliance on coal, rather than natural gas, to produce DRI. coal-based rotary kiln furnaces (mainly in India), accounting for 17.5% of 2016 production.

Coal 150
article thumbnail

BNEF: steel industry set to pivot to hydrogen in green push; additional $278B for clean capacity and retrofits

Green Car Congress

Steel is responsible for around 7% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions every year and is one of the world’s most polluting industries. Government and corporate net-zero commitments are pushing the steel industry to cancel out its emissions by 2050. The steel industry cannot afford to wait for the 2040s to start its transition.

Hydrogen 221