British Coal has started a 40 million ($25 million), 2.5 metric ton/day coal liquefaction pilot project at Point of Ayr in northern Wales to produce gasoline and diesel fuel.
The 3 year project, which uses a liquid solvent extraction process, also is backed by the European Community, U.K. Department of Energy, Amoco Corp., and Ruhrkohle AG, Germany's largest hard coal producer.
The pilot plant is designed as an integrated unit capable of continuous operation.
It will provide product samples for testing in automobile engines and furnish design data for commercial scale production of gasoline and diesel fuel from coal. Production of commercial volumes of liquid fuels could consume 506 million metric tons/year of coal.
Direct liquefaction of coal produces light distillates rich in aromatic compounds suitable for upgrading to finished motor fuels, British Coal said. And use of standard oil refining techniques can achieve high octane numbers without the addition of lead.
WHAT ELSE IS PLANNED
British Coal also will test the ability to make coproducts such as coke and specialty chemicals.
The pilot unit will be able to upgrade heavy residual oils either separately or in conjunction with coal.
Project director David Gray said the British Coal process has the advantage of being able to use almost every kind of coal. He said, "it is about twice as efficient as, for example, the Sasol process, and it is environmentally acceptable, removing more than 96% of sulfur and nitrogen in coal."
Gray voiced confidence that the Point Of Ayr project will pave the way for commercial scale plants producing 50,000 b/d of high grade gasoline and low sulfur diesel fuel.
Copyright 1990 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
