China Evaluates US Coal Liquefaction Technologies

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China, as you should by now know, is pursuing an assertive coal-to-liquid industrialization program.

 

We know, as per earlier documentation we've provided you, that they are seeking international patents on a direct coal liquefaction process that seems, to us, very, and uncomfortably, similar to what we know of WVU's West Virginia Process for direct coal liquefaction.

 

We have also reported, we think more than thoroughly, on the Shell and Texaco energy conversion technologies. Texaco developed coal gasification and liquefaction technologies with the support of the US government; and, Shell has promoted their "MDS", or Middle Distillate Synthesis, technology, wherein liquid fuels can be synthesized from hydrocarbon gas - whether natural gas, or gas derived from petroleum refining or coal gasification. They are, as we've reported, establishing at least one such gas-to-liquid plant in the Middle East - Bahrain, as we recall. Reports of it are extant in the Coal Association R&D archives.

 

In any case, herein is further, very recent, documentation of the fact that China has seen the value in United States coal conversion technologies, and is assertively moving forward with them.

 

Excerpts:

 

"Chinese Electronic Periodical Services 

 

ID 1773576; Texaco和Shell; Comparison between Economics of Texaco and Shell Gasification Technologies in Producing Methanol; Lei Zhang, Li-Ping

 

October, 2009

 

Abstract:

Texaco's coal slurry gasification technology and Shell's dry powdered coal gasification technology are the main representatives of the next-generation coal gas fluid-bed gasification techniques. The operating temperature of Shell coal gasification technology is up to 1700℃, making the technology highly adaptable to a variety of coal types. Its carbon conversion rate exceeds 99%. The carbon conversion rate of Texaco's coal gasification technology ranges between 96% and 98%. Producing it of methanol, Shell technology requires 1.25~1.28t of coal, while the Texaco technology requires 1.31~1.4t of coal. The volume of oxygen needed by the Shell gasification technology is 15%~25% lower than that needed by the Texaco technology. The total energy consumption of the Shell technology (including feedstock coal) is 51.981GJ, 11.21GJ less than that of the Texaco technology. However, the Shell coal gasification technology requires higher capital expense. A 60×10^4t/a methanol unit using the Shell technology requires 1.09242 billion Yuan in investment, while a unit of the same size using the Texaco technology will require only 854.44 million Yuan in investment. The overall cost of producing methanol using the Shell technology is 1,373 Yuan per ton, about 7.5% higher than the 1,277 Yuan per ton cost of producing methanol using the Texaco technology. In addition, the stability of the Shell technology is yet to be validated in industrial units, while the Texaco technology has been used in commercial units in China for more than 10 years and its operating stability proves very high. Comparison between the economics of the two technologies show that Shell's coal gasification technology has no advantage over Texaco's coal gasification technology in producing methanol."

And, once they get methanol, from coal, using Texaco technology, they can get gasoline, from that methanol, using ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r) process.

China, aside from attempting to patent WVU's direct coal liquefaction technology to manufacture liquid fuels, will be using US oil company, Texaco, technology, developed, as we've documented, in USDOE research projects, paid for by US taxpayers, to manufacture liquid fuels from coal, as well.