|
FutureCoalFuels.org Update
Oct. 27, 2009
________________________________________
West Virginia business writer touts benefits of CTL fuels
Edward Peeks, a retired business editor for the Charleston Gazette, detailed the economic and energy benefits offered by CTL fuels in a recent opinion editorial in the Gazette.
"Coal figures as a must in the mix as indicated by action and attitudes in other countries to convert coal into gasoline and similar products," wrote Peeks in his Oct. 3 piece.
Peeks detailed the economic benefits West Virginia could gain through the construction of just one CTL plant, noting that other coal-rich areas, notably China, recognize the potential of CTL fuels and are proceeding with plans to begin production.
A copy of Peeks' editorial is available here.
Canadian CTL project in the works
A plan to construct the first CTL plant in Canada is progressing, despite the global economic downturn that has made it difficult for many energy projects to attract financing.
The project, slated for construction in Alberta, is being spearheaded by Alter NRG. Company co-founder and chairperson Michael Heier recently told Mining Weekly that while the scope of the project and it's timeline are undergoing some changes, the project is still proceeding.
Heier stressed that project's ability to produce clean fuels, saying the plant will capture 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.
"One of the key environmental advantages is that the coal leases and the subsequent CTL project are in very close proximity
to some of the largest conventional oilfields in Western Canada," said Heir. "These fields are in their twilight years of production and require a source of carbon dioxide to conduct miscible flooding. This is a later stage of the enhanced oil recovery process that improves the overall
recovery factor and extends the life of the fields.
Heir said the project would be the nearest source of carbon dioxide to these fields, making the plant's captured carbon "another profit center."
Read the complete interview here.
|
