1980 - Catlettsburg's H-Coal direct liquefaction facility, the largest ever built in the U.S., began operations. The Commonwealth contributed funds for the design and construction of this coal liquefaction plant; purchased options for the plant site; and conducted research at the laboratory on conversion of Kentucky coals. Engineering design and site acquisition for a commercial plant to employ indirect liquefaction technology utilized in South Africa to produce motor fuels also began.
(So, at the time, Kentucky was moving forward with coal conversion on two fronts: H-Coal development and Sasol's well-established commercial technology. What happened with Sasol?)
1984 - The Center's synfuels research capabilities were improved by installation of the Prototype Integrated Process Unit. This was a 10 pound per hour pilot-scale continuous-flow direct coal liquefaction mini-plant.
1986 - The United States synfuels demonstration program ended with the abolishment of the Synthetic Fuels Corporation. Kentucky's projects were also discontinued.
(Who was in control of the White House in 1986? Well ... he was a red-haired Republican, and the Secretary of Energy was one John Harrington, an attorney with no known energy or science expertise, who had been one of the President's personal assistants for White House personnel issues. In case you were wondering.)
1992 to 2002 - The CAER conducted research related to Advanced Concepts for Coal Liquefaction, sponsored by the US DOE. The first phase evaluated process concepts to effect reductions in the cost of producing coal liquids in a two-stage direct liquefaction process. The project was later extended to the production of potential value-added materials from coal liquids. The project's total value with extensions was nearly $8 million (sponsor and matching).
We have noted many times the potential for "value-added materials from coal liquids". Those "value-added materials" are primarily what the Chinese are after in their assertive CTL industrialization program. Liquid fuel seems to be more of a secondary consideration for them, according to their public statements.
Finally, where is the final report, with all the collected data, and what were it's conclusions?