A new study to jointly recommend new coal research and development plans will be funded by the Coal Association of Canada, and the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, (canmet).
A joint announcement from the Coal Association and the ministry of energy, mines and resources Canada says an industrial business plan to be developed in this project will identify mechanisms which the coal industry can use to reinforce the impact of government-funded research on their productivity and “bottom line.”
The federal government currently provides about $20 million annually for coal research, ranging from downhole geophysics used in exploration, to development of futuristic conversion processes capable of transforming solid coal into liquid fuels for use in cars and jet engines.
Commenting on current technological progress, the announcement notes that technologies to upgrade low-sulphur western Canadian coal before shipment to Ontario, for example, will reduce transportation costs per unit of energy and help improve the competitive position of the western product.
Other technologies are nearing the stage of commercialization which will allow high sulphur Atlantic coals to substitute for imported oil in an environmentally acceptable way.
Stressing the coal industry’s need for effective research and development, minister of state for forestry and mines Gerald Merrithew said the world’s coal market is “fiercely competitive and our export industry must continuously seek new technologies to make it even more efficient and to open doors to new market opportunities.”
The detailed work on the new project will be carried out by Robert Gronotte, recently appointed director, research planning, the Coal Association of Canada.
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