We're sending the abstract of this German study to affirm some points we've been attempting to document for you. Comment follows the excerpt:
| "Title | Quantitative investigations into the environmental impact of coal gasification and hydrogenation plants |
|---|---|
| Creator/Author | Juentgen, H. ; van Heek, K.H. ; Kirchhoff, R. ; Klein, J. |
| Publication Date | 1983 Feb 01 |
| OSTI Identifier | OSTI ID: 5176028 |
| Other Number(s) | Journal ID: CODEN: CHIUA |
| Resource Type | Journal Article |
| Resource Relation | Journal Name: Chem. Ind. (Duesseldorf); (Germany, Federal Republic of); Journal Volume: 35 |
The background and evolution of coal gasification and hydrogenation is discussed and those parameters affecting the emissions from installations of this kind, namely the feed coal, product, type of process and efficiency of the purification plant are assessed. Data are presented on several conversion techniques (Lurgi, Texaco, etc.) and three gasification processes and one hydrogenation process currently in operation are examined. The estimated emission levels are presented (SO/sub 2/, dust, etc.) and the effectiveness of the extraction methods used are discussed. An assessment is made of the long-term potential for coal gasification by application of nuclear process heat. Finally, other factors are discussed, such as plant breakdown, leakage sources and the emission of trace elements. It is concluded that coal gasification and hydrogenation on an industrial scale can generally be regarded as environmentally compatible."
First of all, this report is from Germany, where the technologies for coal conversion to liquids, via gasification and hydrogenation, were reduced to industrial practice in WWII.
Second, the report was made in 1983, but coal conversion is discussed herein as if it were a widely-known, understood and commercially-practiced technology, not some fanciful, unattainable goal only practiced by alchemists using fabled processes in distant lands.
But, finally, the main point we want to make herein is under-stated by the researchers, in typical Germanic fashion, in the final sentence: "It is concluded that coal gasification and hydrogenation on an industrial scale can generally be regarded as environmentally compatible."
To sum it up; and to repeat with some logical extrapolation: Turning coal into gasoline "can generally be regarded as environmentally compatible".