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27.1 Introduction
While the association of rising atmospheric CO
2
levels
and global warming is debated, the predicted increases in
world population and energy demand (to 2030) have left
little doubt as to the need for coal as a stable energy source
in the near future.
1,2
CCS is one mitigation strategy that
would allow the continued utilization of coal reserves and
current infrastructure while also limiting anthropogenic
CO
2
emissions. This process involves capturing and puri-
fying CO
2
from the combustion of fossil fuels and storing
it in deep underground reservoirs such as saline aquifers.
Oxy-fuel combustion is one of three promising tec