Glossary
The following definitions reflect those used by the International Energy Agency (IEA); definitions used by other organisations and publications may vary.
CAAGR
compound average annual growth rate
CAFE
corporate average fuel economy (standards in the US)
CAPEX
capital expenditures
CBE
Committee on Budget and Expenditure (of the IEA); also indicated as Budget Committee
CBM
coalbed methane
CBTL
coal-and-biomass-to-liquids
CCGT
combined-cycle gas turbine
CCHP
combined cooling, heat and power
CCRC
Climate Change Research Centre
CCS
carbon capture and storage
CCT
clean coal technologies
CDQ
coke dry quenching
CDU
crude distillation unit
CEM
Clean Energy Ministerial
CEQ
Council on Environmental Quality (United States)
CER
Certified Emission Reductions issued by CDM Executive Board, representing 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent
CERT
Committee on Energy Research and Technology (of the IEA)
CFBC
circulating fluidised-bed combustion (boiler technology)
CFI
commercial financial institutions
CFL
compact fluorescent lamp
CH4
methane
CHP
combined heat and power (generation)
CIF
Climate Investment Fund
CLEEN
Cluster for Energy and the Environment (Finland)
CMM
coal mine methane
CNG
compressed natural gas
CO
carbon monoxide
CO2
carbon dioxide
CO2-eq
carbon-dioxide equivalent
COD
chemical oxygen demand
COG
coke-oven gas
CPC
Caspian Pipeline Consortium
CPOGT
Collaborative Platform on Oil and Gas Technologies
CPRS
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
CSG
coal seam gas
CSH
concentrating solar heating
CSM
coal seam methane
CSP
concentrating solar power
CSS
cyclic steam stimulation
CTC
coal to chemicals
CTF
Clean Technology Fund (World Bank)
CTG
coal-to-gas
CTL
coal-to-liquids
carbon capture and storage (CCS)
a group of technologies used to reduce CO2 emissions from large CO2 sources (such as fossil fuel or biomass power generation) and industrial processes (such as cement, iron and steel and fertilizer manufacturing). Following capture, CO2 is transported and stored in specifically selected and characterised geological formations over 1 000 m below the ground. Aspects of the CCS chain have been used in industry for many decades; however, the complete process has been demonstrated at a commercial scale at only five locations around the world.
carbon footprint
the full quantity of greenhouse gases that can be attributed to an individual, a plant, a company, a product or a whole economy.
carbon market
the set of organised and bilateral transactions by which countries trade credits received for greenhouse-gas emission reductions. The market is used to comply with emission goals, or to voluntarily offset a country’s own emissions. The carbon market was launched by the creation of three mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol: emissions trading, across developed countries; the Clean Development Mechanism, based on projects in developing countries; and Joint Implementation, based on projects in developed countries.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
the mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol by which a developing country can earn certified emission reductions (CERs) for a project that reduces emissions (e.g. carbon trading).
climate change
the change in climate (i.e. regional temperature, precipitation, extreme weather, etc.) caused by increase in the greenhouse effect. (see global warming).
Climate Change Experts Group (CCXG)
The OECD and IEA jointly act as Secretariat for this ad hoc group of climate negotiators from member countries.
co-generation (or combined heat and power)
the simultaneous generation of both electricity and heat from the same fuel, for useful purposes. The fuel varies greatly and can include coal, biomass, natural gas, nuclear material, the sun or the heat stored in the earth.
coal
Coal refers to a variety of solid, combustible, sedimentary, organic rocks that are composed mainly of carbon and varying amounts of other components such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and moisture. Coal is formed from vegetation that has been consolidated between other rock strata and altered by the combined effects of pressure and heat over millions of years. Many different classifications of coal are used around the world, reflecting a broad range of ages, compositions and properties.
coal-to-liquids
the transformation of coal into liquid hydrocarbons. It can be achieved through either coal gasification into syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), combined with Fischer-Tropsch or methanol-to-gasoline synthesis to produce liquid fuels, or through the less developed direct-coal liquefaction technologies in which coal is directly reacted with hydrogen.
coalbed methane (CBD)
methane found in coal seams that is a source of unconventional natural gas.
coke oven coke
the solid product obtained from the carbonisation of coal, principally coking coal, at high temperature. Semi-coke, the solid product obtained from the carbonisation of coal at low temperatures, is also included, along with coke and semi-coke.
coking coal
hard coal of a quality that allows the production of coke suitable to support a blast furnace charge.
concentrating solar power (CSP)
devices that concentrate energy from the sun’s rays to heat a receiver to high temperatures. This heat is transformed first into mechanical energy (by turbines or other engines) and then into electricity. (See also Photovoltaic).
condensates
condensates are liquid hydrocarbon mixtures recovered from associated or non-associated gas reservoirs. They are composed of C5 and higher carbon number hydrocarbons and normally have an API between 50° and 85°.
contango
Market situation in which prices in succeeding delivery months are progressively higher than in the nearest delivery month; the opposite of backwardation.
corporate debt
the liabilities held by a company used to fund investments.
cal
calorie
cft
cubic foot or ft3
cm
cubic metre or m3
°C
degrees Celsius