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About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

CSIRO's core areas of impact

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Energy from coal

CSIRO is developing efficient and low emission coal technologies for energy generation.

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/multimedia/Post-Combustion-Capture-Video.html A picture of a man standing near equipment at the Post-combustion capture plant. Find out how post combustion capture works and how it can reduce emissions from coal-fired power stations by more than 85 per cent.
/science/CO2-geological-storage--ci_pageNo-7.html A diagram of carbon dioxide underground storage. CSIRO is involved in Australia’s first underground CO2 storage project.
/science/LASC-Mining-Technology.html A picture of LASC technology. New mining automation technology will improve coal mining productivity and safety around the world.
/science/Diesel-Designs.html A picture of a pile of coal. A CSIRO research project has reduced hazardous diesel particulates from coal mine vehicle exhausts by 92 per cent.
A picture of a man standing near equipment.
Find out how post combustion capture works and how it can reduce emissions from coal-fired power stations by more than 85 per cent.

CSIRO's research is focused on the following:

A close view of coal.

Coal mining
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A person checking equipment.

Carbon capture and storage
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Coal mining - Improving the efficiency and safety of coal production to maximise the benefits Australian coal brings to the world. Learn more>
Carbon capture and storage - Reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of carbon capture and storage. Learn more>

Two men wearing hard hats and checking equipment.

Gasification
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A picture of a diesel engine.

Coal engines and carbon fuel cells
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Gasification - Gasifying coal to create high-efficiency, low-emission
energy. Learn more>
Coal engines and carbon fuel cells - Exploring new ways to generate low-emission electricity from coal. Learn more>

Coal is Australia’s largest export and a major contributor to the national economy. It is the primary fuel for power generation worldwide and provides more than 80 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply.

Coal is however a major contributor to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Current coal-based power technologies account for more than one third of Australia’s emissions alone.

CSIRO’s coal technology research is focused on maintaining the benefits that Australia’s coal resources bring to the nation and world while minimising the adverse environmental impacts of coal mining and coal-fired power generation.

Working with industry, research organisations and government, CSIRO’s coal technology research covers the entire coal value chain.

Second Level:
Energy from coal
Index of Energy from coal related information:
  • At CSIRO's QCAT facility in Brisbane: (L-R) Dr David Harris (CSIRO Energy Technology), Governor Dave Freudenthal, John Stephens (GE Energy), Phil Solomon (GE Energy), and Rob Hurless (State of Wyoming). (CSIRO)
    Wyoming State Governor, Dave Freudenthal, and a senior delegation from General Electric (GE) and the University of Wyoming, recently visited CSIRO's low emission coal research facilities in Brisbane on a fact-finding mission.
  • Intelligent Grid report: A value proposition for wide scale distributed energy solutions for Australia

    Wide-scale adoption of low-emission distributed energy could reduce the cost of transitioning to a low-carbon future by as much a $130 billion by 2050, according to a new report released today by CSIRO.

  • A picture of coal.

    A fact sheet on the occurrence of barium in Australian and other coals, the behaviour of barium during combustion and the environmental and health effects of barium released as a consequence of coal use.

  • A picture of coal.

    A fact sheet on the occurrence of manganese in Australian and other coals, the behaviour of manganese during combustion and the environmental effects of manganese released as a consequence of coal use.

Contact

Ms Linley Davis
Communications Manager
CSIRO Energy Technology, Coal Technology
Phone: 61 2 4960 6116 
Alt Phone: 0417 772 480