The World Converts to Gasification

GCC
Gasification of coal, biomass, or other carbonaceous materials yields a syngas which can be utilised for electric power generation, fuel synthesis, or the synthesis of chemicals and materials. Gasification lends itself to much cleaner use of coal -- even the "dirtiest" coals -- than current combustion processes. While nuclear generation of electrical power is superior in many ways to the use of coal, coal is more versatile in terms of the broad array of uses to which syngas can be put. And there is a lot of coal in the ground, to be used.

The 2010 Worldwide Gasification Database, a collection of gasification plant data, describes the current world gasification industry and identifies near-term planned capacity additions. The database reveals that the worldwide gasification capacity has continued to grow for the past several decades and is now at 70,817 megawatts thermal (MWth) of syngas output at 144 operating plants with a total of 412 gasifiers.

Gasification is a technological process that uses heat, pressure, and steam to convert any carbon-based raw material into synthesis gas (syngas). Gasification is in use in more than 27 industrialized countries._GCC

As the gasification industry develops and grows, economies of scale will be added to the other advantages of this cleaner approach to energy, fuels, and chemicals.