The World On Coal

Coal is providing an ever larger proportion of world energy production. The economics of high oil and gas prices pushes coal to the forefront--even in Persian Gulf countries such as Oman and Dubai. Now coal is moving beyond the role of electric power producer, and is going head to head with oil in the liquid fuels market!

CONSOL Energy Inc., the US’ largest producer of bituminous coal, and Synthesis Energy Systems Inc. (SES) have formed a joint venture—Northern Appalachia Fuel LLC (NAF)—to develop their first US coal gasification and liquefaction plant to be located near Benwood, West Virginia. The two companies announced last year that they were jointly exploring coal gasification opportunities. (Earlier post.)

...The feedstock will be a blend of run of mine coal and coal otherwise not recovered in the normal preparation process. Coal will be gasified to syngas utilizing SES’ U-GAS technology, licensed from the Gas Technology Institute (GTI); the syngas will be used to produce approximately 720,000 metric tons per year of methanol that can be used as a feedstock for the chemical industry. The partners also expect that the project will be capable of converting methanol production to approximately 100 million gallons/year of 87 octane gasoline. _GCC

The venture all hinges on whether the US Democratic Party controlled Congress will allow them to go ahead with production, then sell their product inside the US.

The current and future congress is haunted by carbon hysteria--an irrational fear of carbon dioxide that causes legislators to run screaming at the thought of productive use of fossil fuels. Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi are particularly affected by this form of insanity, as are most government officials from California.

What the delusional dammes fail to note is that only a prosperous economy can devise and implement alternatives to current energy sources. By amputating US energy production at the neck, these foolish feminasties are wittingly or unwittingly dooming their own country to secondary status in the future.