(9c) Syncrude and Syncoal Production by Mild-Temperature Pyrolysis Process of LRC

The novel coal-to-liquid (CTL) pyrolysis process developed by ConvertCoal, Inc., converts bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite low-rank coals (LRC) into low-emission clean-coal power boiler fuel and syncrude after hydrotreating the recovered coal-tar oil. The processed clean-coal product can meet the U.S. latest Clean Air Interstate Regulations taking effect in 2010 with little or no additional emissions mitigation, and fuel efficiency also is improved resulting in decreased green-house gas, or GHG, (carbon dioxide) emission. The simultaneous production of clean coal and syncrude oil provides an economic basis for this new CTL process. The syncrude results from on-site catalytic hydrotreating of recovered coal-tar-oil in 15 - 20w% yields on a water-and-ash-free basis, indicating syncrude yields of 0.75 ? 0.95-bbl/ton of feed-coal. ConvertCoal, Inc., has recently completed the design and patent applications for a modular mild-temperature pyrolysis plant for processing 10,000-t/d Wyoming PRB coal to produce 1150 t/d coal-tar-oil and 5000-t/d low-emission coal-char fuel matching a 500-MW power plant. The hydrogenated coal-tar-oil yields 8000-bbl/d syncrude with suitable properties for petroleum oil refining. A new ?virtual oilfield resource? producing 200,000-bbl/d with predictable oil quality and defined recovery profile therefore would result from having in operation two dozen such projects corresponding to 12,000 MW generating capacity and 84-million-t/y LRC (less than 15% of annual LRC mining capacity). The capital intensiveness of the project is similar to oilfield and power projects on a barrel-per-day of oil or ton-per-day of coal basis. Current engineering studies indicate that the process can be economically attractive at current energy price levels. It therefore could be the basis for converting the large U.S. LRC resources into equivalent oil reserves. In addition, due to the heating value increase in the processed coal-char, the process enables IGCC projects to use less costly LRC on a par with high-rank Eastern high-sulfur coals. Increased interest in the ConvertCoal process therefore can be anticipated based on the need for a reliable supply of low-emission clean coal, a strong desire for the development of domestic syncrude oil resources, and the existence of enormous LRC reserves in the Western U.S. and other coal rich countries.