September 18, 2008 |
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In this update:
Pentagon unveils new CTL technology development program In a Sept. 4 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), DARPA emphasized that "the military's reliance on fuels derived from foreign oil imports represents a vulnerability that could adversely affect our national security should a disruption in these sources occur," thus necessitating the need for a program capable of accelerating the development and use of advanced coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels technology. "Given the abundance of U.S. coal reserves, it is reasonable to assume that coal derived fuels could play an increased role in meeting future U.S. energy needs," said DARPA. " Under the program, DARPA's Strategic Technology Office will review proposals focused on short term projects capable of demonstrating the ability to reduce the cost of CTL plant construction, further reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve the water usage performance of CTL plants. The agency is allotting approximately $4.5 million in funding to support successful demonstration projects. Project proposals must be submitted to DARPA by Nov. 12, with the agency pledging to issue a consolidated question and answer response document after Sept. 30 to help guide those drafting proposals. A copy of DARPA's CTL BAA is available here. Sens. Baucus, Grassley unveil new CTL tax legislation To promote the domestic production of coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels, "The Energy Independence and Investment Act," unveiled Sept. 11, extends the life of an existing alternative fuels excise tax credit through Dec. 31, 2011. Without an extension, the tax credit would expire in 2009. To qualify for the tax credit, CTL fuels derived from the Fischer-Tropsch process must be produced at a facility that separates and stores at least 50 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. The bill also includes a carbon dioxide emissions capture credit of $10 per ton for the first 75 million metric tons captured and transported from an industrial source for use in enhanced oil recovery and $20 credit per ton captured and stored in permanent storage in a geological formation. Qualifying facilities must capture at least 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. A summary of the bill is available here. Air Force achieves another synthetic fuel testing milestone The Air Force on Aug. 28 marked another milestone in its synthetic fuel testing program by conducting the first aerial refueling test using a synthetic fuel made via the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, the same technique used to produce coal-to-liquid (CTL) transportation fuels. The refueling test flights included two in-flight re-fuelings of an F-22 jet by a KC-135 tanker and lasted approximately two-and-a half hours. The Air Force will now shift its attention to tests on the C-5, C-130 and F-16 aircraft. The Air Force has already certified its fleet of B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets and the C-17 transport plane to fly using FT made fuels and has conducted supersonic testing with the F-15 and the B-1 bomber. The Air Force is aiming to certify its entire fleet of aircraft to fly on FT-made fuels by 2011 and begin purchasing 400 million gallons annually in 2016, with domestically made CTL fuels making up the bulk of such purchases. More information on CTL fuels is available at: www.futurecoalfuels.org CTL conference set for October in Houston Among those slated to speak at the conference are representatives fromleading coal producing and technology developing members of the Coal-to-Liquids Coalition (CTLC). Representatives from CTLC member organizations are eligible for a 15 percent discount on the conference's registration fee. The summit will focus on the key market and technological developments needed to fully enable commercial CTL production, with the conference specially examining issues regarding potential North American production. Among the issues the conference will explore is the use of biomass, carbon capture and storage and enhanced oil and gas recovery techniques to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. More information, including registration information and a detailed program, is available here. Become a CTL grassroots supporter The Coal-to-Liquids Coalition is working to build a strong network of grassroots supporters willing to contact federal and state lawmakers to voice their support for measures meant to spur the domestic production of affordable, clean-burning CTL fuels. CTL grassroots supporters can include company employees, union members, retirees, their families, friends and others spread across the country who share a personal stake in the successful launch of a domestic CTL industry. A robust CTL grassroots network can be an invaluable tool in helping to increase the bipartisan support for legislation designed to jumpstart the production of ultra-clean CTL fuels. To become a grassroots supporter visit: http://capwiz.com/futurecoalfuels/home/. Stay up-to-date on the latest news reports spotlighting CTL |
- 2010-10-19 October 19, 2010 Notice to Shareholders available under Investors (News Releases).
- 2010-10-06 Prof. Frank Clemente, "the world is turning to coal," by 2030, coal consumption will have increased by 53% and coal-fired power generation by 85%. Coal will account for 48% of global incremental electricity generation over the next 20 yrs.
- 2010-10-07 According to a report by China's Xinhua News Agency, China is expected to have the world's largest coal-conversion industry by 2020.
