Difference between revisions of "Coal-to-Liquids"

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{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}}'''Coal-to-Liquids''' (CTL) is a process of converting coal to fuels such as diesel. The process involves first building a plant to convert coal to gas and then another plant to covert the gas to a liquid.
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{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}}'''Coal-to-Liquids''' (CTL) is a process of converting coal to fuels such as diesel. The process involves first building a plant to convert coal to gas and then another plant to covert the gas to a liquid. It is also known as '''Synthetic fuel''' or '''synfuel''': any liquid fuel obtained from coal, [[natural gas]], or [[Biomass power generation|biomass]]. It can sometimes refer to fuels derived from other solids such as [[oil shale]], [[tar sand]], waste plastics, or from the fermentation of biomatter. Synfuels are used as an alternative to oil, and can be used to make petroleum and diesel, as well as synthetic waxes, lubricants, chemical feedstocks, and alternative liquid fuels such as methanol and dimethyl ether (DME).<ref name="wci">[http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-of-coal/coal-to-liquids/ "Coal to Liquids"] World Coal Institute, accessed April 2010.</ref>
  
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Shell is one global oil company that has invested substantially in CTL technology and has developed plants in China, Malaysia and the Netherlands. In July 2008, the Executive Director of Gas and Power for Shell, [[Linda Cook]], told the ''Australian Financial Review'' that while the company had proven the technology works, the economic viability of such projects is not guaranteed. "What's not proven is more on the commercial side and whether you can afford to do those two technologies back to back and have it economically attractive," she said.<ref name="Garvey">Paul Garvey, "Counting cost of converting coal", ''Australian Financial Review'', July 22, 2008, page 18.</ref>
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The process of producing synfuels can also be referred to as Gas-To-Liquids (GTL) or Biomass-To-Liquids (BTL), depending on the initial feedstock. The best known synthesis process is the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis which was used on a large scale in Germany during World War II.<ref>Bruce Bartlett,[http://www.creators.com/opinion/bruce-bartlett/synfuel-boondoggle.html "Synfuel Boondoggle"] Creators.com, 2007.</ref> Other processes include the Bergius process, the Mobil process and the Karrick process. An intermediate step in the production of synthetic fuel is often [[syngas]], a stoichiometric mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which is sometimes directly used as an industrial fuel.{{fact}}
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==Worldwide Usage==
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The leading company in the commercialization of synthetic fuel is [[Sasol]], a company based in South Africa. Sasol currently operates the world's only commercial coal-to-liquids facility at Secunda, with a capacity of 150,000 barrels a day. Currently around 30% of the country’s gasoline and diesel needs are produced from indigenous coal.<ref name="wci"/> Other companies that have developed coal- or gas-to-liquids processes (at the pilot plant or commercial stage) include [[Shell]], [[Exxon]], [[Statoil]], [[Rentech]], and [[Syntroleum]]. Worldwide commercial gas-to-liquids plant capacity is 60,000 barrels per day, including plants in South Africa (Mossgas), Malaysia (Shell Bintulu) and New Zealand (Motor-fuel production at the New Zealand Synfuel site has been shut down since the mid nineties, although production of methanol for export continues. This site ran on the Mobil process converting gas to methanol and methanol to gasoline).<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/archive/aeo06/pdf/issues.pdf "Annual Energy Outlook 2006 with Projections to 2030"] Energy Information Administration, 2006.</ref>
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===Shell===
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[[Shell]] is one global oil company that has invested substantially in CTL technology and has developed plants in China, Malaysia and the Netherlands. In July 2008, the Executive Director of Gas and Power for Shell, [[Linda Cook]], told the ''Australian Financial Review'' that while the company had proven the technology works, the economic viability of such projects is not guaranteed. "What's not proven is more on the commercial side and whether you can afford to do those two technologies back to back and have it economically attractive," she said.<ref name="Garvey">Paul Garvey, "Counting cost of converting coal", ''Australian Financial Review'', July 22, 2008, page 18.</ref>
  
 
"You have to build a coal gasification plant and a gas-to-liquids plant, so [it's] very capital intensive. It would work economically in a place where you have low construction costs, where you are relatively close to market, and where you have a lot of low-cost coal reserves. So you can see maybe Australia has some of those ingredients ... On top of being capital intensive, it is also CO<sub>2</sub> intensive and I think in today's environment one has to figure into the development of a coal-to-liquids project a means to offset the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions associated with it," she said.<ref name="Garvey"/>
 
"You have to build a coal gasification plant and a gas-to-liquids plant, so [it's] very capital intensive. It would work economically in a place where you have low construction costs, where you are relatively close to market, and where you have a lot of low-cost coal reserves. So you can see maybe Australia has some of those ingredients ... On top of being capital intensive, it is also CO<sub>2</sub> intensive and I think in today's environment one has to figure into the development of a coal-to-liquids project a means to offset the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions associated with it," she said.<ref name="Garvey"/>
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A study released in October 2008 found that if the United States tried rely on gasoline made from domestic coal as a means of achieving independence from foreign oil, the result would likely be an increase in carbon emissions. The researchers concluded that greenhouse gas emissions could actually almost double if natural gas or domestic coal were to replace foreign oil. Even if all potential means of reducing emissions were used, including any future development of carbon capture and storage technologies, the alternative fuels would not provide any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>[http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37829/title/Clean_coal_for_cars_has_a_dirty_side "Clean Coal for Cars Has a Dirty Side,"] ''ScienceNews'', October 20, 2008.</ref>
 
A study released in October 2008 found that if the United States tried rely on gasoline made from domestic coal as a means of achieving independence from foreign oil, the result would likely be an increase in carbon emissions. The researchers concluded that greenhouse gas emissions could actually almost double if natural gas or domestic coal were to replace foreign oil. Even if all potential means of reducing emissions were used, including any future development of carbon capture and storage technologies, the alternative fuels would not provide any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>[http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37829/title/Clean_coal_for_cars_has_a_dirty_side "Clean Coal for Cars Has a Dirty Side,"] ''ScienceNews'', October 20, 2008.</ref>
  
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==Coal-to-Liquids and Coal Gasification Projects==
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==Coal-to-Liquids and Coal Gasification Projects in the U.S.==
 
===Active===
 
===Active===
 
* [[Alaska Natural Resources-to-Liquids plant]] - Alaska
 
* [[Alaska Natural Resources-to-Liquids plant]] - Alaska
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* [[TransGas Development Systems]] - West Virginia
 
* [[TransGas Development Systems]] - West Virginia
  
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===Cancelled, abandoned, on hold===
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===Canceled, abandoned, on hold===
 
* [[American Clean Coal Fuels]] - Ohio
 
* [[American Clean Coal Fuels]] - Ohio
 
* [[Benwood Project]] - West Virginia
 
* [[Benwood Project]] - West Virginia
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* [[Waste Management Logan County plant]] - West Virginia or Pennsylvania
 
* [[Waste Management Logan County plant]] - West Virginia or Pennsylvania
  
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==Articles and Resources==
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==Resources==
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===Sources===
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===References===
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
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===Related SourceWatch Articles===
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===Related SourceWatch articles===
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*[[Coal-to-Liquids Coalition]]
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* [[Proposed Synfuels Plants in the United States]]
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*[[Coal-to-Liquids in Australia]]
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* [[Existing U.S. Coal Plants]]
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*[[Coal-to-Liquids in China]]
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* [[U.S. Air Force and Coal]]
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*[[Greenhouse Gas Limits in 2007 Energy Act]]
 
 
* [[Baard Energy]]
 
* [[Baard Energy]]
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* [[Coal-to-Liquids]]
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* [[Coal-to-Liquids Fuel Promotion Act of 2007]]
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* [[DKRW Advanced Fuels]]
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* [[Fuel Frontiers]]
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* [[Medicine Bow Fuel & Power]]
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* [[Nuclear Solutions]]
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* [[Petroleum coke]]
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* [[Coal-to-Liquids Coalition]]
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* [[Coal-to-Liquids in Australia]]
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* [[Coal-to-Liquids in China]]
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* [[Greenhouse Gas Limits in 2007 Energy Act]]
 
* [[Rentech]]
 
* [[Rentech]]
 
* [[Ron Sega]]
 
* [[Ron Sega]]
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*[[U.S. Air Force and Coal]]
 
  
 
===External Sources===
 
===External Sources===

Revision as of 18:47, 1 April 2010

{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}}Coal-to-Liquids (CTL) is a process of converting coal to fuels such as diesel. The process involves first building a plant to convert coal to gas and then another plant to covert the gas to a liquid. It is also known as Synthetic fuel or synfuel: any liquid fuel obtained from coal, natural gas, or biomass. It can sometimes refer to fuels derived from other solids such as oil shale, tar sand, waste plastics, or from the fermentation of biomatter. Synfuels are used as an alternative to oil, and can be used to make petroleum and diesel, as well as synthetic waxes, lubricants, chemical feedstocks, and alternative liquid fuels such as methanol and dimethyl ether (DME).[1]

The process of producing synfuels can also be referred to as Gas-To-Liquids (GTL) or Biomass-To-Liquids (BTL), depending on the initial feedstock. The best known synthesis process is the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis which was used on a large scale in Germany during World War II.[2] Other processes include the Bergius process, the Mobil process and the Karrick process. An intermediate step in the production of synthetic fuel is often syngas, a stoichiometric mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which is sometimes directly used as an industrial fuel.[citation needed]

Worldwide Usage

The leading company in the commercialization of synthetic fuel is Sasol, a company based in South Africa. Sasol currently operates the world's only commercial coal-to-liquids facility at Secunda, with a capacity of 150,000 barrels a day. Currently around 30% of the country’s gasoline and diesel needs are produced from indigenous coal.[1] Other companies that have developed coal- or gas-to-liquids processes (at the pilot plant or commercial stage) include Shell, Exxon, Statoil, Rentech, and Syntroleum. Worldwide commercial gas-to-liquids plant capacity is 60,000 barrels per day, including plants in South Africa (Mossgas), Malaysia (Shell Bintulu) and New Zealand (Motor-fuel production at the New Zealand Synfuel site has been shut down since the mid nineties, although production of methanol for export continues. This site ran on the Mobil process converting gas to methanol and methanol to gasoline).[3]

Shell

Shell is one global oil company that has invested substantially in CTL technology and has developed plants in China, Malaysia and the Netherlands. In July 2008, the Executive Director of Gas and Power for Shell, Linda Cook, told the Australian Financial Review that while the company had proven the technology works, the economic viability of such projects is not guaranteed. "What's not proven is more on the commercial side and whether you can afford to do those two technologies back to back and have it economically attractive," she said.[4]

"You have to build a coal gasification plant and a gas-to-liquids plant, so [it's] very capital intensive. It would work economically in a place where you have low construction costs, where you are relatively close to market, and where you have a lot of low-cost coal reserves. So you can see maybe Australia has some of those ingredients ... On top of being capital intensive, it is also CO2 intensive and I think in today's environment one has to figure into the development of a coal-to-liquids project a means to offset the CO2 emissions associated with it," she said.[4]

Carbon dioxide emissions

A study released in October 2008 found that if the United States tried rely on gasoline made from domestic coal as a means of achieving independence from foreign oil, the result would likely be an increase in carbon emissions. The researchers concluded that greenhouse gas emissions could actually almost double if natural gas or domestic coal were to replace foreign oil. Even if all potential means of reducing emissions were used, including any future development of carbon capture and storage technologies, the alternative fuels would not provide any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.[5]

Coal-to-Liquids and Coal Gasification Projects in the U.S.

Active

Canceled, abandoned, on hold

Resources

References

  1. ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 "Coal to Liquids" World Coal Institute, accessed April 2010.
  2. ↑ Bruce Bartlett,"Synfuel Boondoggle" Creators.com, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Annual Energy Outlook 2006 with Projections to 2030" Energy Information Administration, 2006.
  4. ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 Paul Garvey, "Counting cost of converting coal", Australian Financial Review, July 22, 2008, page 18.
  5. ↑ "Clean Coal for Cars Has a Dirty Side," ScienceNews, October 20, 2008.

Related SourceWatch articles

External Sources

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