Coal Gasification News

2010 Gasification Technology Conference will be in DC

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:50:35 +0000

The annual Gasification Technology Conference is October 31 to November 3 in Washington, DC. This is the premier U.S. coal and petcoke gasification conference and the largest gasification conference in the world. If you are involved in project development, financing or engineering and construction you will want to attend.

For information regarding the conference, visit the Gasification Technology Council website at www.gasification.org. Coal Gasification News is not affiliated with the Gasification Technology Conference.

Rentech and Clearfuels Receive DOE Grant

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:43:56 +0000

Rentech and ClearFuels have been awarded a grant by the DOE to construct a biomass gasification demonstration unit. ClearFuels and Rentech are working together as partners to develop biomass plants that can produce diesel.

Rentech has a process demonstration unit (PDU) in Commerce City, Colorado that was constructed for the purpose of demonstrating its Rentech Fischer-Tropsch process. Rentech Inc. and ClearFuels Technology Inc. have formed a partnership to develop projects that include the ClearFuels gasification process and the Rentech Fischer-Tropsch process.

The DOE has awarded a conditional grant in the amount of $23 million for ClearFuels-Rentech to construct the ClearFuels gasifier at the Rentech PDU site and integrate it with the gasifier with the Rentech Fischer-Tropsch demonstration unit. The ClearFuels-Rentech project is one of nineteen integrated bio-refinery projects selected to receive funds from the DOE under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate the construction and operation of pilot, demonstration, and commercial scale bio-refineries.

These projects were selected by the DOE to validate refining process technologies and help lay the foundation for full commercial-scale development of an advanced bio-fuels industry in the United States.

Indiana to Vote On Eminent Domain For CO2 Pipelines

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:45:16 +0000

A bill was introduced in the Indiana Senate that will provide companies that construct and operate pipelines the authority to use eminent domain to acquire pipeline right-of-ways for carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines. This is not a new concept. Indiana has existing legislative statutes that provide eminent domain rights for pipelines that transport other products. Senate Bill 115 will amend the existing statute to include pipelines that transport carbon dioxide.

The bill was sent to Committee for review, corrections and reporting. The committee reported favorably back the Senate and recommended that the Senate vote to pass the bill.

The bill will have to be signed by the Governor of Indiana before it will become law. Governor Daniels has been supportive of legislation that promotes the development of coal gasification facilities in the past. Governor Daniels signed legislation that permitted the state to enter into long term off take agreements. For this reason, it’s expected that Governor Daniel will sign this legislation when it reaches his desk.

GE Energy Selects Worley-Parsons for FEED

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:07:54 +0000

GE Energy selected Worley-Parsons for the engineering services contract for the FEED phase of the High Plains Gasification Advanced Technology Center to be built in Wyoming. The High Plains Gasification Technology Center is a joint venture between GE Energy and the University of Wyoming.

The University of Wyoming will operate the test center with GE. The FEED is expected to be complete in July 2010.

Cash Creek Receives Final Air Permit

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:24:11 +0000

The Kentucky Division of Air Quality issued the Final Air Permit for the Cash Creek Generating Station. Cash Creek is an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant that will gasify Kentucky coal and produce substitute natural gas. The plant will use four GE gasifiers to produce syngas. Cash Creek will convert the syngas to substitute natural gas (SNG) using a methanation process. SNG can be transported in existing natural gas pipelines.

In addition, the Cash Creek IGCC plant will operate two gas fired turbines with Heat Recovery Steam Generators and one steam fired turbine. The turbines will generate 760 MW electricity. Some of the electricity will be used for the plant’s own operations and the balance will be sold.

Cash Creek LLC is a subsidiary of ERORA LLC. ERORA is privately held by Green Rock LLC, GE Financial Services and ERORA principals. GE Energy Financial Services has a 20% interest in ERORA LLC. D.E. Shaw has invested in the project.

Kentucky House Approves Eminent Domain for CO2 Pipeline

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:37:48 +0000

The Kentucky House of Representatives voted 94 to 5 in favor of a bill to permit companies constructing carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines to use eminent domain to acquire pipeline right-of-ways. This is a long time practice approved for pipelines for oil and natural gas. There are several requirements contained in Kentucky HR 213. The CO2 pipelines must be used to transport CO2 for sequestration, enhanced oil recovery or other CO2 management programs. In addition, the existing ‘Eminent Domain Act of Kentucky’ legislation must be followed.

Kentucky HR-213 is not law yet. The bill will be sent to the Kentucky Senate and the Senate must vote for the bill. After Senate approval, the bill must be signed by the Governor of Kentucky. The Governor of Kentucky supports coal gasification project development in the state and is widely expected to sign the legislation when it reaches his desk.

Summit To Build Coal Gasification Plant in Texas

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:43:22 +0000

Summit Power is developing a coal gasification project in Texas. The project is named the Texas Clean Energy Project. The TCEP plant will be located near Odessa, Texas. The plant will be an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant capable of generating 400 MW of electricity. The feedstock will be coal.

Siemans is providing the gasifiers – two SFG-500′s – and the gas turbine – SGT6-5000F. Fluor is the engineering contractor. The coal gasification process is well suited for CO2 capture and the project will capture 90% of the CO2. The CO2 will be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the Texas oil fields in the Permian Basin area. The Permian Basin has had ongoing EOR operations for about 30 years.

The project estimated cost is $1.75 billion. The TCEP received a grant from the DOE for $350 million from the Clean Coal Power Initiative.

Denbury Resources Green Pipeline

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:48:57 +0000

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TransGas Plans Gasification Plant For WV

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:54:29 +0000

TransGas Development Systems announced that it has filed an application for a permit with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality, to construct a coal-to-liquids gasification plant in Mingo County, West Virginia. The Transgas coal-to-liquids project will produce gasoline.

The site is near Wharncliffe, WV in Mingo County about 80 miles south of Charlston, West Virginia. The facility is planned to convert 3 million tons of coal per year to syngas using the Uhde proprietary Prenflo gasification process using 2 – 1000 MWth gasifiers with direct quench. The facility will convert the syngas using a catalytic process to produce 6.5 million barrels per year of gasoline.

Financing has been difficult for most project developers/owners to arrange. Most developers/owners plan to finance their projects with debt. Transgas plans to issue an IPO and finance the project with investor equity from the sale of the stock.

This facility will provide high paying jobs and produce fewer emissions than traditional coal plants and improve the local economy.

Capital Power Purchases EPCOR Power Assets

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:43:57 +0000

EPCOR created Capital Power as a new IPO for the purpose of selling its power assets. As a stand alone company, Capital Power will have better access to capital and be in a better position to manage and develop power assets.

Capital Power raised approximately $500 million through the sale of stock issued in the IPO. The proceeds were used to fund the acquisition the EPCOR power assets.