Caterpillar Supports the World's Largest Coal-Bed Methane Power Project

It's hard to imagine power station workers in China's inland Shanxi province being well-versed in the workings of international environmental policy, but Chen Jifeng, a production manager at the Sihe Gas Power Plant, is not only well-versed, but extremely proud of what his company is doing to improve the environment.

"Our power plant is the world's first coal mine methane project under the Clean Development Program," Chen said. The program, in the simplest terms, offers developing countries an opportunity to earn carbon credits by investing in projects that reduce greenhouse emissions. "Over the seven years during which it can generate credits, this plant will reduce emissions worth more than $140 million."

This power plant, owned by the Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group, is indeed a pioneer in its field. Shanxi province is best known for its coal, and this "black gold" has been the driving force behind the province's economic development. However, fears over climate change have prompted a shift toward a low-carbon global economy, and the Chinese government is becoming an increasingly strong advocate of sustainable development. In light of these trends, energy structure adjustment and efficiency improvements have become key issues.

At the core of the issue for coal-producing areas is coal-bed methane (CBM). Extremely common in underground coal mining, it has usually been treated as waste and discharged directly into the atmosphere. However, CBM is one of the main causes of global warming and is even more polluting than carbon dioxide. It is one of the prime targets in emissions reduction efforts, but until recently, there was a lack of technology to capture and convert the gas.

At the Sihe Gas Power Plant, this technology has matured to fruition, with Cat^® G3520C gas power generators converting CBM into electricity - turning waste into treasure while reducing global greenhouse gasses. The plant has a total of 60 Cat G3520C gas power generators, three exhaust-heat boilers and one steam turbine-generator set with capacity of 120MW, making it the largest such plant in the world.

"In gas combustion for power generation, the temperature of tail-gas from the gas power generators is very high, so the tail-gas is also used to generate electricity, and the water coolant from the engines is used for heating," Chen said. The Sihe Gas Power Plant is designed upon the principle of low consumption and high efficiency, making the production process an organic whole, allowing for high energy utilization and thermal inter-conversion, maximizing resource utilization.

In an effort to upgrade the existing gas generating functions, the plant added another six Cat G3520C gas power generators this year, increasing power generating efficiency by approximately 70 percent.

Chen said he is extremely proud of the impact the power plant is having on the environment. Walking down the streets of Jincheng today, you will no longer see a grey sky or taste sulfur dioxide in the air. Instead, you'll see citizens enjoying the outdoors in the city's square. Jincheng is a reflection of a new, clean and beautiful Shanxi province.