Herein is discussed the use of Fischer-Tropsch (FT) coal-to-liquid conversion technology, at a pilot plant in Vermont, for Pete's sake, to make liquid fuels - as we've suggested could be done - from a variety of botanical, renewable, feeds.
The plant was doing a bit more than FT research, but it is the FT, applied to botanical renewable's, that interests us.
Basically, they are, or were, the plant was "inexplicably" decommissioned in 2002, demonstrating how to make gasoline from sawdust.
Once we build our coal conversion plants, we can continue to use them, with a variety of feeds, to make liquid fuels, and save our coal for far more valuable liquid conversion products, such as methyl methacrylate (you really should call Eastman in Tennessee to learn a little more about what they're doing/intend to do with their Kingsport CoalTL facility).
A modest excerpt:
"• Direct use as a fuel gas that can be interchanged with natural gas or distillate oil
• Co-fired with biomass or fossil fuels for heating or power applications,
• Use as a fuel for advanced power generation cycles including turbines or fuel cells, and
• Use as a feed gas for synthesis applications such as production of Fisher Tropsch liquids, alcohols, and hydrogen."
• Co-fired with biomass or fossil fuels for heating or power applications,
• Use as a fuel for advanced power generation cycles including turbines or fuel cells, and
• Use as a feed gas for synthesis applications such as production of Fisher Tropsch liquids, alcohols, and hydrogen."
And, oh, yeah: Vermont. Why not WV?