The term “clean coal” has evolved into a bit of a misnomer, as reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with the burning of coal looks to be a costly process requiring significant increases in fuel consumption.
Originally, “clean coal” signified a number of techniques to reduce the negative effects of burning coal. More recently, the term has changed to mean a process that greatly reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
This is where the phrase starts becoming contradictory.
OilPrice.com: It is estimated that 25-40% additional fuel will be required to process the coal in a more environmentally sound way. Because the technology requires new coal-powered plants specifically designed for carbon capture and sequestration, the cost of energy would be 20-50% higher than traditional coal-fired plants, depending on the sequestration method use
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