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UCC aims to reduce GHG emissions in two ways. Firstly, UCC fired turbines will achieve GHG reductions through very high efficiency power generation. The increased efficiency substantially reduces the fuel required to generate electricity hen compared with a conventional coal fired generator of the same capacity, potentially reducing GHG emissions from the generator by 20% to 30%.
 Secondly, anticipating that geological storage of CO2 becomes economically and politically acceptable in the future, an oxy-fired UCC turbine will enable recovery of concentrated CO2 amenable to geological storage, without the need for expensive capture technologies using membranes or solvents. The system is well suited to oxyfiring, operating above atmospheric pressure to prevent nitrogen ingress and providing high pressure gas streams for efficient CO2 capture. The high efficiency of the UCC turbine also means that less CO2 needs to be captured.
The UCC fired turbine retains the advantages of the gas fired turbine in that it can be quickly brought on and off line and is thus suitable for peaking generation. It can also be located close to the end user, reducing transmission losses and providing combined heat and power opportunities, while utilising a safe low-cost and widely available fuel, coal.
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