WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL

This document is an executive summary of a report by Dr. Ranajit Sahu, which argues that the concept of "clean coal" is a myth. It specifically analyzes the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) proposal to add 1500 MW of new coal power generation in South Africa, concluding that such projects will cause significant air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions regardless of the technology used.

• The 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) proposes adding 1500 MW of new coal generation in South Africa using high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) technology, but it does not specify the exact type of technology to be used.
• Certain HELE technologies are deemed unlikely or unsuitable for the 1500 MW proposal. Advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) efficiency plants do not meet the IRP requirement for technologies to be based on at least one operational project experience. Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), underground gasification combined cycle (UGCC), and carbon capture (CC) technologies are considered unproven and cost-prohibitive at scale.
• Greenhouse gas emissions remain unavoidable even with HELE technologies. Ultra-supercritical pulverized coal units cannot capture carbon dioxide due to high costs, and circulating fluidized bed technology emits nitrous oxide—a gas with a global warming potential 300 times that of carbon dioxide—at rates two to ten times higher than pulverized coal technologies.
• The report concludes that "clean coal" is a myth because significant air, water, and waste impacts persist. These include emissions at the plant itself and unavoidable particulate matter and hazardous air pollutants (mainly metals) resulting from the supply chain, including coal mining, transportation, and ash disposal.
• It is considered unreasonable for any new coal generation to be operational by 2023, as the process of design, procurement, and implementation from scratch typically takes longer than four years.

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} }