We have, of course, many times documented the plain fact, that, the nation of South Africa has, for more than half a century, been - -
as confirmed by no less than the United States Environmental Protection Agency in our reports of:
West Virginia Coal Association | US EPA Confirms Coal Liquids Cheaper Than Petroleum | Research & Development; concerning: "Sasol: South Africa's Oil From Coal Story - - Background For Environmental Assessment; EPA-600/8-80-002;
United States Patent Application: 0140031199
Actually, the intent of the Chinese innovation we bring to you herein is to enable the conversion of Coke Oven gas into Methane, with the constituents of Coke Oven gas including not only Carbon Dioxide, but, Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen, as well.
However, in paragraph/item 57 of the full disclosure, we get a true indication and statement of the potentials:
http://www.electrochem.org/dl/
As now accessible on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site, via:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE 2013 Solar CO2 + H2O = Methanol + Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20130256147 - Solar Fuels Generator; Date: October 3, 2013; Inventors: Nathan S. Lewis and Joshua Spurgeon, CA; (California Institute of Technology); Abstract: The solar fuels generator (as described). Government Interests: This invention was made with government support under DE-SC000493/T-105066 awarded by the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention. Claims: A solar fuels generator, ...The supply stream .... can also include or consist of a reactant (in addition to water, and, in some embodiments) CO2 serves as the reactant that is delivered to the photocathodes. Examples of the fuels that can be produced using this reaction in combination with the disclosed solar fuels generator include ... methanol, methane, ethanol";
United States Patent Application: 0130338411
We've documented for you a number of times that the University of North Dakota, under contract to the United States Department of Energy, has been developing - - and studying the economics of - - some specific technologies for the direct conversion of our abundant United States Coal into synthetic petroleum; that is, into a substitute for the stuff we utterly squander our national treasure, and put at grave risk our national security, to continue purchasing from the alien, and often inimical, nations of OPEC.
Herein, we're just submitting more evidence of just how far advanced, almost totally unknown to us common folk in United States Coal Country, the science and technology for converting our abundant domestic US Coal into anything and everything we now squander our national and personal treasures, and mortgage our grandchildren's futures, to keep buying from those bastions of democracy and exemplars of American ideals, the beloved and always-beneficent nations of OPEC, has become.