Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO2 Sequestration in Coal: A Review

Liu, Xueliang; Zhang, Baoxin; Fu, Xuehai; Lu, Jielin; Huang, Manli; Zeng, Fanhua (Bill)

doi:10.3390/pr13061680

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Open AccessReview

Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review

by

Xueliang Liu

^1,2,3,4,5,

Baoxin Zhang

^1,2,

Xuehai Fu

^1,2,*,

Jielin Lu

^1,2,

Manli Huang

^1,2 and

Fanhua (Bill) Zeng

^6,*

¹

Key Laboratory of Coalbed Methane Resources and Formation Process, Ministry of Education, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

²

School of Resources and Geoscience, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, China

³

Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Coal Resources Green Mining, Ministry of Education, Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi 830023, China

⁴

Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Coal-Bearing Resources Exploration and Exploitation, Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi 830023, China

⁵

Xinjiang Engineering Research Center of Green Intelligent Coal Mining, Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi 830023, China

⁶

Department of Petroleum Systems Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Processes 2025, 13(6), 1680; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061680

Submission received: 2 April 2025 / Revised: 22 May 2025 / Accepted: 25 May 2025 / Published: 27 May 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comprehensive Evaluation and Utilization of Coal Measure Mineral Resources)

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Abstract

CO₂ sequestration in coal is effective for reducing carbon emissions, but related projects have encountered challenges in sustained CO₂ injection, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of CO₂ sequestration in coal. This study reviews variations in the properties of coal/rock during/after CO₂ injection, demonstrating the potential and stability of CO₂ sequestration in coal. The coal with a high V_L-CO₂/V_L-CH₄ is accompanied by high CO₂ sequestration capacity. The matrix swelling and acid corrosion restrict CO₂ sequestration efficiency, which can be enhanced by employing coatings and increasing permeability. Long-term CO₂–water–rock interactions weaken the integrity of coal/caprocks and decrease the adsorption capacity of coal, leading to the CO₂ leakage risk. Three issues are critical in future studies: (1) Increasing CO₂ adsorption capacity. (2) Establishing optimal approaches to enhance CO₂ injection efficiency. (3) Accurately predicting variations in the adsorption capacity of deep coal and the integrity of coal/caprocks during long-term CO₂–water–rock interactions. This review provides foundations for formulating CO₂ sequestration strategies in coal.

Keywords: coalbed methane; adsorption; CO₂–water–rock interactions; leakage risk; CO₂ sequestration

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MDPI and ACS Style

Liu, X.; Zhang, B.; Fu, X.; Lu, J.; Huang, M.; Zeng, F. Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review. Processes 2025, 13, 1680. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061680

AMA Style

Liu X, Zhang B, Fu X, Lu J, Huang M, Zeng F. Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review. Processes. 2025; 13(6):1680. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061680

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liu, Xueliang, Baoxin Zhang, Xuehai Fu, Jielin Lu, Manli Huang, and Fanhua (Bill) Zeng. 2025. "Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review" Processes 13, no. 6: 1680. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061680

APA Style

Liu, X., Zhang, B., Fu, X., Lu, J., Huang, M., & Zeng, F. (2025). Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review. Processes, 13(6), 1680. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061680

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Potential, Efficiency, and Leakage Risk of CO₂ Sequestration in Coal: A Review

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