The general licence agreement with Melbourne-based Cougar Energy will allow for the Australian developer to apply Ergo’s εUCG technology which differs from generic UCG applications in its higher exergy efficiency and lower exergy dissipation into the environment.

As in conventional gasification methods, the εUCG process causes an oxidant to react with coal from underground seams.

Part of the released heat is used in coal drying, pyrolysis and the endothermic reactions that reduce the combustion products and result in the production of UCG gas.

Ergo notes that coal deposits with obstacles to mining may still be useful as a UCG resource base.

Cougar operated the first successful UCG demonstration pilot plant at Chinchilla in the Australian state of Queensland from 1999 to 2002.

Ergo managed the ignition and expansion of the UCG facility which now feeds the Majuba power station southeast of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Majuba which has been employing UCG technology since 2010 claims to be the first power station to use UCG gas for commercial electricity outside of the Soviet Union.

Last April, New Zealand coal miner Solid Energy announced the ignition and syngas production from its $22 million UCG pilot plant near the town of Huntly on the country’s North Island.

The Huntly plant applies Ergo’s εUCG technology and is being used by Solid to acquire the geological, process and environmental data necessary to develop a commercial UCG plant design.