WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL

The report assesses the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) proposal to add 1500 MW of new coal generation in South Africa. It finds that high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) technologies cannot eliminate significant greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution. Specifically, ultra-supercritical efficiency is the highest feasible thermal cycle efficiency given IRP requirements, while carbon capture (CC) and gasification technologies (IGCC and UGCC) are deemed unproven and cost-prohibitive at scale. The report highlights that circulating fluidized bed technology emits two to ten times more nitrous oxide than pulverized coal technologies. Beyond plant emissions, the coal supply chain—including mining, transport, and ash disposal—creates unavoidable air, water, and waste impacts. Finally, the report asserts that bringing new coal generation online by 2023 is unreasonable due to the time required for design and procurement.

• The 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) proposes 1500 MW of new coal generation in South Africa using high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) technology, but the highest feasible thermal cycle efficiency is ultra-supercritical (USC). Advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) plants are excluded because they do not meet the IRP requirement of being based on at least one operational project experience.
• Carbon capture (CC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), and underground gasification combined cycle (UGCC) technologies are unlikely to be used for the proposed 1500 MW of coal because they are cost-prohibitive and unproven at scale. The report notes that no commercial-scale coal-fired power plant globally currently utilizes carbon capture.

APA

Sahu, R. (n.d.). WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CancelCoal_report_summary_Clean-coal-is-a-myth.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Sahu, Ranajit. WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL. Centre for Environmental Rights, n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CancelCoal_report_summary_Clean-coal-is-a-myth.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sahu |first1=Ranajit |title=WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CancelCoal_report_summary_Clean-coal-is-a-myth.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sahundwhy, author = {Sahu, Ranajit}, title = {{WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CancelCoal_report_summary_Clean-coal-is-a-myth.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }