Sparty
04-24-2009, 01:35 AM
World-first clean coal plant could increase Australia's energy security
24 April 2009
Linc Energy Limited has opened the world’s first demonstration plant in Chinchilla designed to educate the industry about the advantages of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) technology – a coal-to-liquids process to convert vast ‘stranded’ coal deposits into ultra clean liquid fuels.
Linc Energy's Chinchilla Demonstration Plant in Queensland is now producing clean synthetic diesel and jet fuel from gas sourced from deep underground coal reserves, following the plant’s first production in October 2008.
The facility has gained huge attention from media and government – both local and from overseas – which have hailed the plant as “unique” and “world-class”.
Vietnamese Government Ministers and Vice Ministers, representatives from Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and business supporters from South Africa and the United States gathered in Chinchilla to mark the official opening of the world’s first Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) to Gas to Liquids (GTL) facility.
“Linc Energy’s facility is truly unique; the only one of its kind, complete with UCG gas field, a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) GTL plant and an on-site, world-class laboratory,” said Linc Energy’s chief executive officer, Peter Bond.
Linc Energy is an Australian-owned energy company and a leader in clean coal technology. The company’s vision is to become a dominant player in the supply of more environmentally-friendly power, diesel and jet fuel.
The company’s facility brings together, for the first time anywhere in the world, the two proven production processes known as Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) clean coal technology and Gas to Liquids (GTL).
These processes will economically convert vast ‘stranded’ coal deposits into ultra clean liquid fuels.
Linc Energy will also use the Syngas produced from UCG clean coal technology as feedstock for gas turbines to generate much needed environmentally friendly electricity.
The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, officially launched the demonstration plant this month.
“Australia is coal and gas rich, with hundreds of years of reserves. Technologies that convert coal and gas to ultra-clean diesel and jet fuel have the potential to replace Australia’s declining oil reserves and make us self-sufficient in liquid transport fuels once again,” he said.
“A domestic synthetic fuels industry would reduce - and maybe even one day remove - our growing trade deficit in petroleum products which last year grew to almost $15 billion.
“This technology unlocks energy from Australia's significant stranded and uneconomic coal reserves and has the potential to dramatically reduce Australia's dependence upon imported oil and refined products.”
According to Linc Energy, the technology could increase Australia's energy security, by producing environmentally-friendly fuels containing almost zero sulphur and no aromatics, with a carbon footprint comparable with the production of conventional fuels.
If gas-to-liquids takes off, it could open-up opportunities for jobs, exports, revenue and economic growth – particularly in regional communities, Ferguson said.
24 April 2009
Linc Energy Limited has opened the world’s first demonstration plant in Chinchilla designed to educate the industry about the advantages of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) technology – a coal-to-liquids process to convert vast ‘stranded’ coal deposits into ultra clean liquid fuels.
Linc Energy's Chinchilla Demonstration Plant in Queensland is now producing clean synthetic diesel and jet fuel from gas sourced from deep underground coal reserves, following the plant’s first production in October 2008.
The facility has gained huge attention from media and government – both local and from overseas – which have hailed the plant as “unique” and “world-class”.
Vietnamese Government Ministers and Vice Ministers, representatives from Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and business supporters from South Africa and the United States gathered in Chinchilla to mark the official opening of the world’s first Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) to Gas to Liquids (GTL) facility.
“Linc Energy’s facility is truly unique; the only one of its kind, complete with UCG gas field, a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) GTL plant and an on-site, world-class laboratory,” said Linc Energy’s chief executive officer, Peter Bond.
Linc Energy is an Australian-owned energy company and a leader in clean coal technology. The company’s vision is to become a dominant player in the supply of more environmentally-friendly power, diesel and jet fuel.
The company’s facility brings together, for the first time anywhere in the world, the two proven production processes known as Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) clean coal technology and Gas to Liquids (GTL).
These processes will economically convert vast ‘stranded’ coal deposits into ultra clean liquid fuels.
Linc Energy will also use the Syngas produced from UCG clean coal technology as feedstock for gas turbines to generate much needed environmentally friendly electricity.
The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, officially launched the demonstration plant this month.
“Australia is coal and gas rich, with hundreds of years of reserves. Technologies that convert coal and gas to ultra-clean diesel and jet fuel have the potential to replace Australia’s declining oil reserves and make us self-sufficient in liquid transport fuels once again,” he said.
“A domestic synthetic fuels industry would reduce - and maybe even one day remove - our growing trade deficit in petroleum products which last year grew to almost $15 billion.
“This technology unlocks energy from Australia's significant stranded and uneconomic coal reserves and has the potential to dramatically reduce Australia's dependence upon imported oil and refined products.”
According to Linc Energy, the technology could increase Australia's energy security, by producing environmentally-friendly fuels containing almost zero sulphur and no aromatics, with a carbon footprint comparable with the production of conventional fuels.
If gas-to-liquids takes off, it could open-up opportunities for jobs, exports, revenue and economic growth – particularly in regional communities, Ferguson said.