When opponents of coal and petcoke gasification write a list of the reasons that a coal/petcoke gasification project should be stopped, there are two false statements that are commonly cited.

One of the most common false statements is that the technology is experimental. The technology is actually very old and tested. Dow Chemical announced that the technology was commercial in 1979. That’s 20 years ago. Sasol has been operating coal gasification plants for many decades. The Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah, ND has been in operation since 1984.

The second most common false statement is that the technology is more expensive than other sources. When the facility in question will not be completed and started up for 4 to 5 years, it’s difficult to impossible for someone that doesn’t have access to the economic to make that determination. It’s more logical to believe that the developer that has worked on the project for a year or longer is better equipped to make the decision. The logical conclusion is that the statement is false. When carbon capture and sequestration is included with the project scope of work, the cost is almost always less expensive than alternative technologies.

Both of these arguments highlight weak defenses by the opponents of coal/petcoke gasification projects.