Results of the public-private CCT mission to Poland

Japan’s public-private CCT*1 mission headed by the Director of the Coal Division, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, visited Poland from November 30 to December 6. The mission consisted of 20 delegates from the government and the private sector. The results are hereby released.
The mission was sent to hold the first inter-governmental dialogue on CCT cooperation between Japan and Poland.

*1. CCT is an abbreviation for “clean coal technology.”

1. Background

Energy conservation, air pollution prevention, and CO2 emissions reduction are major challenges for Poland, which joined the European Union in 2004. In the country where coal-fired power generation supplies 93% of the nation’s electricity and where more than 30% of coal-fired power plants are aging, the clean use of coal is essential from the viewpoint of combating global warming.

In March this year, Poland’s energy mission visited Japan for the first time. The mission, consisting of more than 30 people, visited power plants and other facilities in Japan and showed a keen interest in Japan’s technologies for clean coal use, particularly IGCC*2 and CCS*3. Minister of Environment Maciej Nowicki, who visited Japan in October this year, underlined this by expressing his expectations for Japan’s CCT.

*2. IGCC (Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle) is a type of power plant that gasifies coal to power a gas turbine for power generation, while generating steam from the exhaust from the gas turbine in order to run a steam turbine, which also generates power. It can produce electricity more efficiently than conventional power plants.
*3. CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage) is a technology to isolate carbon dioxide emitted from coal-fired power plants, capture it, and store it underground.

2. Outline of the mission’s visit

(i) Period

November 30 to December 6, 2009

(ii) Destinations

Warsaw: Polish Ministry of Economy
Katowice: Central Mining Institute, Belchatow Power Station, Lagisza Supercritical Power Plant, Experimental Mine “Barbara” of the Central Mining Institute, etc.

(iii) Mission members

- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, NEDO, RITE, JCOAL
- 10 private enterprises (J-Power (Electric Power Development Co.,Ltd.), The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., Babcock-Hitachi K.K., Toshiba corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., IHI corporation, Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd., Chiyoda corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd.)

3. Results

> From the Japanese side, 13 public and private institutions explained their CCT programs and the possibility of cooperation with Poland.
> The Polish side explained the government’s energy policy through 2030; CCT-related policies, research, and current and future efforts in Poland; and fossil fuels in Poland.
> The Polish side made the following proposals. In light of them, both sides will consider establishing a framework for expanding technical cooperation.
(1) The Director of the Energy Department, the Ministry of Economy of Poland, mentioned that the Polish energy policy through 2030 gives top priority to CCT, with emphasis on the introduction of IGCC and CCS. He stated that Poland was very interested in Japan’s world-leading CCT and was willing to foster bilateral cooperation on CCT.
(2) Poland’s “Central Mining Institute” explained its studies on gas management and enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBM) from the viewpoint of safety, and asked for Japan’s cooperation in the field of coal mine safety.
(3) “Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal, Poland” proposed cooperation in specific fields (coal burning in oxygen, CCS, coke production technology, etc.)

4. Next steps

With the goal of helping Poland establish technology for clean coal use, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will maintain efforts to foster CCT cooperation with the nation, such as continuing inter-governmental dialogue on CCT.

Release Date

December 9, 2009

Division in Charge

Coal Division, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

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