A joint venture of PSI Energy Inc. and Houston independent power producer Destec Energy Inc. has achieved commercial operation at an Indiana coal gasification plant.
The ventures Wabash River gasification project at West Terre Haute will process 2,700 tons/day of coal to produce a net 262,000 kw of electricity. Site is in PSIs Wabash River generating station. Project construction began in September 1993 with cost sharing by the Department of Energy.
Peabody Coal Co.s Hawthorn mine in Southwest Indiana supplies high sulfur Midwest coal for the Wabash River plant.
Destec said its proprietary gasification technology removes more than 98% of the coals sulfur before it is burned. That helps limit air emissions to a fraction of standards for the year 2000 in the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990. Potential acid rain pollutants are significantly reduced.
Destecs technology is being used at the Wabash River station to convert an older, coal fired power plant to a larger, combined cycle unit fueled by syngas. Coal ash is converted to an inert, glassy aggregate for potential use in road construction. Sulfur removed from the coal may be sold to produce fertilizer.
Destec plans to extend its technology to applications using petroleum refinery by-products such as petroleum coke and other potential wastes. n
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