Underground coal gasification (UCG) in Europe: Field trials, laboratory experiments, and EU-funded projects

Abstract Europe has a long history of undertaking underground coal gasification (UCG) field trials, beginning with the 1947 French trial in Morocco to trials in Polish coal mines up to 2014, and has funded some of the most important fundamental UCG research and development (R&D) to date. This chapter reviews the history of European field trials and laboratory-based research and discusses issues relating to site selection, UCG plant construction, and drilling and connecting boreholes. This chapter also summarizes lessons learned from European UCG R&D and discusses what needs to be done to commercialize UCG in Europe.