Clean use of our plentiful coal resources.

The technology we are deploying here is a fundamentally different way of using coal!

The energy industry as we know it is changing. The era of cheap and readily available oil is over. This opens the door for the deployment of innovative technologies that can use our limited remaining abundant resources in the cleanest and most responsible manner possible.

As discussed in the products and solutions section of this site, what we are offering is a new vision for coal it's not just for power anymore!

Our process is fundamentally changed from conventional pulverized coal applications. Instead of burning coal to make steam for power generation, through use of coal gasification technology we actually change the basic chemical structure of coal to produce a wide range of potential high-value products.

Because of the processes employed, we are able to both capture and convert more of the energy contained in the coal into products, and to capture almost all of the of the pollutants typically contained in coal, and either convert them into commercially useful products, or dispose of them safely.

Emissions Comparison: Coal Gasification Vs. Conventional Coal Usage

The overall resulting emissions profile is comparable to that of a natural gas fueled power plant.

Our sulfur oxide emissions are reduced to an extraordinarily low level, 95% lower than those of the best available Super Critical Pulverized Coal (SCPC) technology, and we are able to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by half vs an SCPC facility. Our Particulate Matter emissions will be around 70% lower than a conventional plant. These ratios are another order-of-magnitude better when compared against a conventional pulverized coal plant.

A modern Supercritical Pulverized Coal plant can achieve mercury control of about 80%. We are able to confirm mercury control of at least 90%. Most experts believe that the level of mercury control achieved with the latest in gasification technology is better then 95%, but unfortunately the concentration is so low that it is below the limits of current detection equipment technology, so 90% is the best that can be confirmed.

Another exciting aspect of this technology is that we are able to separate a large portion of the CO2 generated in the process and sequester it underground, preventing the release of a large amount of greenhouse gas. Yet another example of how we are making coal clean.

When combined with CO2 sequestration, it is estimated the pound-for-pound, our emissions will actually be lower than those of a natural gas combined cycle power plant.

By Products

Coal typically contains some byproducts, such as mercury and sulfur, that can become pretty nasty if they are burned and released into the air.

With the technology applied in our projects, we are able to capture these byproducts before they are released into the atmosphere, and concentrate them into commercially useful saleable products.

The slag that is produced by the gasification system is a non-leachable glasslike substance that resembles coarse sand. This byproduct can be used as a building material.

Sulfur removed from the syngas stream can be captured and either be sold as liquid sulfur for fertilizer applications, or can be converted to Wet Sulfuric Acid which is used in great quantity in the chemicals industry.

Mercury, along with other less-infamous but still unsavory heavy metals, is captured from the syngas stream in a carbon bed. The captured mercury-impregnated carbon can then be safely handled and processed to either extract the mercury for commercial use, or to safely dispose of it so as to ensure that no captured mercury escapes into the air or ground water.

Commercial Applications for process By-Products

Coal typically contains some combustion byproducts, such as mercury and sulfur, that can become pretty nasty if they are burned and released into the air. Instead of burning coal and releasing these byproducts, we are able to capture them, and in most cases actually use them for commercial applications.  

The slag that is produced by the gasification system is a non-leachable glasslike substance that resembles coarse sand. This byproduct can be used as a building material.

Sulfur removed from the syngas stream can be captured and either be sold as liquid sulfur for use in a number of applications including pulp and paper uses, rubber vulcanizing, coatings, and fertilizer applications, or can be converted to Wet Sulfuric Acid which is used in great quantity for a wide range of applications in the chemicals, refining, and metals industries.

Mercury, along with a number of other less-infamous but still unsavory heavy metals, is captured from the syngas stream in a carbon bed. The captured mercury-impregnated carbon can then be safely handled and processed to either extract the mercury for commercial use, or to safely dispose of it so as to ensure that no captured mercury escapes into the air or ground water.  

CO2 Sequestration

With Sulfur, Mercury, and Nitrogen Oxide emissions becoming progressively less of an issue thanks to the use of this new technology, one of the biggest remaining emissions problems with the use of coal is CO2. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and is regarded as probably the worst overall contributor to global warming.  

Coal is not an exclusive culprit in the global CO2 equation, but it is certainly a substantial player.  

Any time a carbon based fuel is used, be it coal, gasoline, or natural gas, CO2 is produced. The only way to eliminate the oxidation of carbon is to eliminate combustion altogether, and go to fuel cells, which are not currently ready for commercial deployment.

In the meantime, we have an obligation to attempt to limit to carbon emissions we put out wherever possible.

The best way we currently know of to keep carbon emissions out of the environment is through geologic sequestration. In a nutshell, CO2 is pumped underground into an old oil or gas well, deep coal seam, or deep saline aquifer, where the CO2 is trapped by the right kind of geologic formations, and its release into the atmosphere is prevented. In the areas where depleted oil reservoirs exist, the CO2 can actually help to displace some of the remaining oil in place, and aid in overall recovery. It can also help enhance the recovery of coalbed methane.

Capturing a concentrated CO2 stream from conventional coal fired generation facilities is an extraordinarily expensive proposition, and therefore is not economically viable under our current regulatory climate.

Not so with coal gasification.

Although CO2 sequestration from a gasification facility does require additional equipment and infrastructure, it does not take anywhere remotely near the investment of a conventional coal fired plant, and the CO2 stream can be paired with a depleted oil field for Enhanced Oil Recovery applications these costs can potentially be offset.

As demonstrated on the graph to the left, adding CO2 sequestration to a CTL plant can cut the atmospheric CO2 emissions by over 80% versus a Super Critical pulverized coal plant.

In keeping with our commitment to environmental stewardship, we are planning to include CO2 sequestration in all of our facilities.