The economics — and the environment — are now right to turn coal and coke into gas.
Carl J. Levesque is associate editor at Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Energy crisis. Soaring power and gas prices. Stage 1, 2, and 3 emergencies. Other than the power wholesalers, does anyone stand to gain?
Some in the synthetic fuel industry, particularly those in coal and petroleum coke gasification, see a business opportunity and are starting to make a rumbling, if only a quiet one. No one in the industry is making grand claims of being energy’s white knight, of course. Synthetic fuels are a niche, advocates say, a piece of the solution. Still, if you believe some of the players, you’ll be hearing a lot more from their corner of the industry in the very near future.
“A huge increase in interest,” says James M. Childress, executive director of the Gasification Technologies Council, of the burgeoning attention that gasification is getting from various electricity generation segments, independent power producer (IPP) and utility alike.
“I’m swamped,” says Phil Amick, vice president, commercial development, at Global Energy, an IPP with a focus on gasification technology, alternative fuels, and environmental technology. Interestingly, Amick is referring only to the last few months. For the last five or six years, he says, it’s been very quiet.