Prospects for coal and clean coal technologies in the Czech Republic (Mills, 01-2007)

A significant proportion of Czech energy supply is provided by its sizable, indigenous coal reserves. Coal provides around half of the country's primary energy and is used to generate around two thirds of its electricity. The balance is produced mainly by nuclear power. Several types of clean coal technologies are presently in operation or under development within the country. These include a number of major CFBC based facilities. SC PC is being increasingly considered for new build generating capacity; a new project is under way and there appears to be a strong possibility that this will be followed by a second. Depending on the success of these, others may follow. The country has a coal-fuelled IGCC plant operating at Vresova although at present, there are no proposals for the introduction of additional coal based IGCC. Overall, in the longer term, the outlook for clean coal technologies is considered to be good. However, only limited further deployment is expected in the near term as a consequence of the country's current excess generating capacity and the recently increased contribution from its nuclear sector. It is anticipated that after ~2010, as older generating plant is increasingly retired, there will be greater incentive and opportunity for the further uptake of CCTs.