Green Options » CTL

Think Clean Coal is Dirty? DARPA Says You’re Wrong!

Jerry James Stone — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:34:10 +0000

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - aka DARPA - has set its Big Brother eye on “clean coal” for airplane fuel. It’s unveiling a program to demonstrate both the economical, and environmentally friendly, conversion of coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels.

According to Aviation Week, DARPA has issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) soliciting research proposals and plans to award 12-month contracts totaling $4.56 million to demonstrate the feasibility of alternative CTL technologies. Already investigating bio-fuels, the agency says its CTL program is intended to demonstrate processes that could meet Defense Department demand for JP-8 jet fuel from U.S. coal reserves at a cost-competitive price compared with petroleum-based fuels.

DARPA says existing direct and indirect coal liquefaction processes are “extremely expensive to implement, consume large amounts of water and produce unacceptable amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants.”

DARPA is aiming for a $1.5 billion plant that will make 100,000 barrels of fuel per day where each kilogram of coal converted uses only 0.5 kg. of water. Currently, each kilogram of coal converted uses about a kilogram of water and produces 1.3 kg of CO2 and 0.27 kg of oil, says DARPA. In fact, fuels from coal produce 80 percent more CO2 than petroleum-based fuel, but DARPA believes CTL concepts may exist that avoid the production of CO2. The need for water as a source of hydrogen is also an issue with existing methods.

It seems like flying less might also be a good option - 100,000 barrels a day!

Image source: James Gordon on Flickr

Human and Industrial Waste Converted to Energy

Max Lindberg — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:33:39 +0000

An Atlanta-based company is betting on a sustainable, unending supply of raw material as feed stock, to create a renewable energy source. Human and industrial wastes will soon be processed into a solid, called “E-Fuel”, a replacement for coal or other fossil fuels.

The company, EnerTech Environmental, says it has received $42 million in funding to continue engineering and completion of a commercial-size plant in Rialto, CA, shown in the picture. Four more plants are in the planning stage as funding for the projects is received. The company says it now has $57 million in venture capital.

Coal-to-Liquid, A Company’s Pitch

Max Lindberg — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:18:19 +0000

A Canadian company has used the current presidential race to plug it’s coal-to-liquid process. Citing positive statements by presidential hopefuls, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee, Silverado Green Fuel has posted a video on it’s front page, explaining the process of turning low-grade coal into a clean-burning, non-polluting product.

The Vancouver, BC firm claims their initial production costs will come in at $15 per barrel, on an oil equivalent energy basis. Not bad, they say, considering oil is hanging in there at $90 plus a barrel.