Advanced coal technologies will meet the challenges of the 21st century

摘要

The latest forecasts suggest that the world's population would grow from 6 billion at the end of the 20th century to 8 billion in 2020, with 90% of the projected increase to take place in the developing world. Thus, the main challenge the energy sector will face is to continue to supply secure and affordable energy to meet the growing demand. Although most of the developed countries are involved in the energy conservation programs, global energy consumption will continue to increase, driven by economic growth and the need of the developing countries. The world demand is expected to increase by almost 70% over the next 30 years, mostly in the developing countries (IEA, 2002).