PDA

View Full Version : Will VW's diesel cheat enhance UCG-GTL?


Sparty
09-24-2015, 12:15 AM
Several years ago Australia's Linc Energy (SGX: TI6) successfully produced ultra-clean, very low PM2.5* producing synthetic diesel. Following the revelation that VW and possibly several other diesel manufacturers also cheated it could be that automotive diesel in its current form cannot be made to burn cleanly. This would likely provide a huge boost for those engaged in GTL research and production as diesel engines could again be safely used. The alternative is that diesel automotive engines will be scrapped or tuned to be far less powerful/effective leading to a massive reduction/replacement. GTL is now a proven technology and in my view UCG when done correctly is by far the cleanest way to use coal. More at UCG-GTL (http://www.ucg-gtl.com)

"Ideally, there would be no diesel vehicles in urban areas except for people who truly needed them for work. The mayors of Paris (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/07/paris-mayor-hidalgo-plans-ban-diesel-cars-french-capital-2020) and London (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/29/increase-diesel-taxes-fight-pollution-boris-johnson-green-groups-fuel) have both expressed a desire to rid their cities of diesel vehicles."

*Diesel exhaust fumes are a known cause of lung cancer and may cause bladder cancer. Burning diesel creates large amounts of particulate matter air pollution including small particles of less 2.5 micrometers (known as PM2.5).

The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, set up by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, which is leading the investigation (http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/documents/vw-nov-caa-09-18-15.pdf) into VW), concluded that short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5 could cause death and cardiovascular harm (by increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks) and was likely to cause respiratory harms such as asthma.