Commission calls for technical coal research projects
The European Commission, DG XVII, has published a call for proposals in the fields of mining engineering and coal utilisation, within the ECSC technical coal research programme. The Commission is seeking proposals for targeted projects in the fields outlined below. Proposals must involve partners from at least two Member States and give details of how the research results will be applied and disseminated. The priority fields are: - A. Mining engineering, including: - I: Mining operations: . Optimisation of support systems for highly-stressed roadways; . Optimisation of heading performance for rapid development drivages; . Application of advanced technologies to the coal winning process; - II. Mining infrastructure and management: . Application of advanced geotechnical methods for the optimisation of roadways and mine design; . Improvements to mine safety and emergency procedures; . Environmental problems relating to mining and post-mining activities. In the mining engineering field, efforts should focus on the development of new or improved methods and techniques which aim at reducing production costs in underground and opencast hard coal mining, in order to improve economic viability in the light of international coal prices. Attention should also be given to health and safety aspects of all research proposals and the reduction of the environmental impact of mining. - B. Coal preparation and utilisation, including: - I: Coal preparation and handling: . On-line monitoring of the physical and chemical properties of coal in relation to coal preparation processes and coal handling; . Advanced demineralisation of coal; - II: Coal coking and upgrading: . Reduction of environmental emissions in coke making; . Improved metallurgical coke properties; . Extension of coke oven life. Research relating to the production of special cokes for environmental purposes or other applications such as ore sintering will be given high priority. Low priority will be given to proposals relating to carbon products and other liquid products from coal. - III. Combustion and gasification of coal: . Industrial scale chemical and physical analysis of coal for process control purposes; . The influence of minor ash constituents on the slagging behaviour of coal ash; . Pre-combustion and in-furnace measures to reduce emissions; . Pulverised coal combustion under pressure; . Measures to reduce the capital and operating costs of existing advanced clean coal technology power plants; - Co-utilisation of coal and other solid fuels such as waste and biomass. Unless substantial cost reductions can be achieved, lower priority will be given to flue gas cleaning, the monitoring of emissions, development of new materials for coal utilisation plants, hot gas cleaning for IGCC and the disposal or utilisation of solid waste arising from the use of coal on its own. For further information, please contact: European Commission DG XVII - Energy Mr. J.K. Wilkinson 200 rue de la Loi (TERV 5/12) B-1049 Brussels