CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY MARKET Challenges and Opportunities

High capital costs involved in deploying these technologies has been restraining the market growth. Establishing carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) systems, along with pollution control equipment, requires substantial initial investments. For example, implementing carbon capture in a 500 MW coal-fired plant can cost between USD 400 million and USD 1 billion, depending on site-specific factors. These high costs reduce incentives for power producers to adopt clean coal solutions and discourage new entrants into the market.

Market Opportunity - Technological innovation and efficiency improvements

Technological innovation and ongoing efficiency advancements present significant growth opportunities in this market. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is actively conducting extensive research to enhance and reduce the costs of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. Cutting-edge methods, such as chemical and biological approaches to CO₂ removal, aim to improve capture efficiency while driving down expenses. Similarly, the development of advanced supercritical and ultra-supercritical power plants, equipped with state-of-the-art efficiency-boosting technologies, enables reduced coal consumption and lower emissions per unit of energy generated.