Linc starts up CTL demonstration plant in Queensland

Oct. 15, 2008
Brisbane company Linc Energy Ltd. has produced its first liquids from the Chinchilla coal-to-liquids demonstration plant in southeast Queensland.

Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Oct. 15 -- Brisbane company Linc Energy Ltd. has produced its first liquids from the Chinchilla coal-to-liquids demonstration plant in southeast Queensland.

The project involves underground gasification of coal followed by liquefaction at the surface to produce synthetic hydrocarbons.

Linc says the process provides the potential for billions of tonnes of stranded coal resources to be converted into transport fuels in an environmentally acceptable way. The company said one tonne of coal equates to 1.5 bbl of fuel.

Looking ahead Linc plans to continue to operate the facility and use the experience to help finalize the engineering scope for its proposed 20,000 b/d commercial facility to be constructed during the next 12 months.

The company also signed a business cooperation contract with Vinacomin of Vietnam and Marubeni Corp. of Japan to undertake a project to verify the feasibility of exploiting coal for underground gasification and coal-to-liquids processing in the Red River Delta near Hanoi.