Three dimensions of sustainability

The Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD) operations on 1 July 2001 and is an unincorporated joint venture consisting of eighteen participating organisations from the black coal producing and using industries and research organisations in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.
CCSD’s vision is to optimise the contribution of coal to a sustainable future and it will invest $61 million over a seven-year period in pursuit of this goal. CCSD’s mission is to provide solutions and pathways for coal in sustainable development through:

• collaborative and responsive research focusing on utilisation and by-products; and
• related synergistic research opportunities in other coal chain areas.

The CCSD brings together the majority of Australia’s coal research skill base as well as experts in sustainability.  CCSD researchers are recognised internationally as being at the forefront of coal research in the international science community.  The vision of the CCSD is to optimise the contribution of COAL to a sustainable future.

CCSD’s research is underpinned by a focus on the three dimensions of sustainability - economic, social and environmental.  Research is conducted in several research programs to deliver outcomes that inform strategic decisions, improve environmental performance and assist the understanding of coal performance in technology.

Two exciting areas of research by CCSD involve new power generation systems that use coal in more greenhouse-friendly ways:

• Oxygen fired pulversied coal combustion (Oxy-Fuel) offers a low risk step development of existing power generation technology to enable CO₂ capture and storage.
• Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is the most environmentally friendly coal-fired power generation technology. Most importantly, coal gasification offers the immediate opportunity to generate power with near zero greenhouse gas emissions and the pathway to a future hydrogen economy.