Four reports have been published since the last Newsletter: a timely review of Coal to liquids by Gordon Couch, Prospects for coal and clean coal technologies in India by Stephen Mills, Energy security and the role of coal by John Kessels and R&D needs for clean coal deployment by the Technical University of Hamburg.

Gordon is now reviewing underground coal gasification, a topic IEA CCC has not visited before. Stephen is assessing how clean coal technology equipment suppliers are meeting the increasing demand for new coal-fired plants, and John Kessels is reviewing the EU carbon trading scheme, which has entered its second phase, along with other market-based mechanisms.

Reports in draft include a review of the status of supercritical and ultrasupercritical coal-fired power plants by Herminé Nalbandian and an assessment of the economics of mercury capture from coal plant by Lesley Sloss. Herminé is now working on NOx control technologies and Lesley is investigating the Implications of recent emissions regulations on existing coal-fired power plants.

Soon to be issued in draft are a review of recent developments in polygeneration, the production of electricity, heat, chemicals and hydrogen from coal, by Anne Carpenter and a new approach to an earlier report on the competitiveness of coal by Paul Baruya.

In progress is a second report on carbon capture technologies looking at novel technologies such as membranes and solid sorbents by Robert Davidson, a major review of coal gasification by Rohan Fernando, and a companion report on progress in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) by Colin Henderson. Irene Smith is addressing the status of gas turbine technology for firing gas from coal gasification plants and hydrogen, Ian Barnes is reviewing slagging and fouling in coal-fired plants. Emission factors, which are central to any emission trading scheme, are being reviewed by Deborah Adams. Andrew Minchener is addressing potential coal supply challenges worldwide and a report on coal supply and clean coal technologies in Russia is nearing completion.

As usual, there was an excellent response to this year’s call to our members for new topics to be started in 2008. The most popular of these proposals will be discussed at the next Executive Committee Meeting to be held in London on 17-18 April.