A quantitative assessment of the environmental sustainability of UCG and CO2 storage

Abstract

In this study, an innovative numerical model was developed to quantify the environmental sustainability situation of in situ underground coal gasification (UCG) and the CO2 storage process, which is expressed in terms of the environmental sustainability index (ESI). This approach is based on four environmental indicators: Rock and soil, groundwater, surface water, and atmosphere. Based on the ESI values, the methodology proposed herein is used to classify the environmental sustainability state of the UCG process and its corresponding threshold limit value. Finally, the developed mathematical model was applied to possible European coal deposits, specifically in a Bulgarian coal basin. Research efforts have focused on the development of a mathematical model for environmental impact assessments to pave the way for full-scale trial and commercial applications.