We've demonstrated that technologies exist to not only capture CO2 emissions, from coal power or coal-to-liquid factories, but to recycle it into more liquid fuel.
But, another greenhouse gas - Nitrous Oxide - is emitted from coal-use processes, as well. And, even though it is generated in smaller quantities than CO2, it is also considered, on a weight-to-weight basis, to be a more potent agent of "global warming".
Both gasses are sort of "lumped" together by regulatory bodies and agencies when it comes to the calculation of emission effects.
As is getting to be routine, our South African coal-to-liquid friends, Sasol, have addressed, as in the enclosed article, the problem of NO2 emissions. And, they have addressed them so well that they are actually given "carbon credits" for their coal use processes, credits they can sell, like a commodity, to other greenhouse gas emitters whose processes aren't so "clean".
Some excerpts:
"Sasol, a South African Company has become the first company globally to register a nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement project using secondary catalyst technology to convert the greenhouse gas N2O into harmless nitrogen and oxygen gases."
"The project is expected to earn significant income through sales of the resulting carbon credits. A share of these carbon credits will be invested to benefit local community-based sustainable development projects."
And, remember, we have documented that coal-derived liquid fuels actually burn cleaner than their petroleum-based counterparts.
Producing our liquid fuels from coal would actually benefit the environment.
