Clean Energy Production from Coal with ITU

ITU will combust “underground” 20 billion tons of coal across the country, which cannot be extracted by conventional mining, and turn it into natural gas and hydrogen, which are clean energy sources.

Istanbul Technical University continues to break new ground and contribute to our country in many fields in its 250th anniversary. ITU academics will make 20 billion tons of unusable coal reserves available throughout the country, thanks to the project titled "Investigation of the underground gasification potential of Thrace Basin coals, identification of the synthesis gas composition with one-dimensional gasification experiments".

Collaborative work of academics from ITU

Within the scope of the project, coal combusted underground will be converted into natural gas and hydrogen, which are clean energy sources. ITU Mining Engineering Department faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Fişne and ITU Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Department faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Çınar will produce gases known as “synthesis gas” by making the coal react with oxygen to achieve partial combustion. The resulting gases can also be used for electricity generation or for manufacturing different chemicals.

Great contribution to the Turkish economy

Thanks to the project, an average of 80-100 million tons of production will be realised annually from the lignite coal reserves of approximately 20 billion tons in Türkiye. Gases with higher added value can be obtained by underground gasification of the lignite, which has a low calorific value.

Our academics also aim to contribute with their work to the HYSouth Marmara Hydrogen Valley Project, Türkiye’s largest capacity and first domestic green hydrogen plant.