In order to avoid the shackles of foreign oil supply, in the United States in recent years, the United States has adopted a coal gasification technology to produce alternative fuels. To this end, the United States introduced the Energy Policy Act in 2005, which includes a grant of US$1.6 billion as a subsidy for the development of coal gasification. According to statistics from the Coal Gasification Technical Committee, there are currently about 145 large-scale coal gasifiers in the world, 18 of which are in the United States.
In recent years, as oil and natural gas prices have continued to soar, more companies have turned to coal-based synthesis gas. Syngas can be used to produce methanol, olefins, etc. About 1 ton of coal is required to produce 1 ton of methanol, of which 75% is used as raw material and the remaining 25% is used to generate energy. About 1 ton of methanol is needed to produce 1 ton of olefins (ethylene and propylene). In June 2007, US coal prices were about US$47.3/ton. Therefore, some companies are considering the possibility of investing in the development of coal chemical industry.
Bank of America market analysts pointed out that because oil and gas energy prices have risen to historical highs and there are great geopolitical risks in the Middle East, people are very worried about the normal supply of oil and gas in the future. Coal is the most abundant source of fuel on the planet. According to statistics, the global coal reserves are about 900 billion tons, of which the United States accounts for 27%, which is the largest share. In addition, the Russian Federation accounts for 17%, China 13%, India 10%, Australia 9%, South Africa 5%, Ukraine 4%, Kazakhstan 3%, and the other 12%. Bank of America believes that at the current consumption rate, global coal reserves can be used for at least 250 years.
The technical route of coal chemical industry includes the coal-carbide-acetylene route, coal tar route, coal-syngas-fuel route, coal-syngas-chemical line. Among them, coal gasification to produce syngas is the main technical route of coal chemical industry. Syngas can be further used to produce fuel, but also ethylene, propylene, etc. Syngas produced from coal gasification can also be used to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methanol, ammonia, etc., to produce a large number of various chemical products. At present, one of the development hotspots is the large integrated gasification combined cycle power plant (IGCC) whose core is the coal gasification technology. The IGCC technology has made the environmental protection issue more adequately resolved.
The pre-combustion treatment technology adopted by IGCC can not only greatly reduce the emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, but also indirectly reduce the amount of indirect solid waste and wastewater. Compared with other coal power generation methods, the high-pressure gasification technology used by IGCC has the lowest cost of removing mercury, carbon dioxide, high-priced sulfur and nitrogen oxides. At present, IGCC technology has been widely used in the United States, Europe and Japan.
Gasification technology has developed mature technologies so far. Eastman used coal gasification technology to produce chemical products for more than 20 years. The company converted high-sulphur coal to produce methanol, methyl acetate, acetic acid and other chemicals at the Kingsport plant in Tennessee, USA. The company also owns the first industrialized gasification unit in the United States. Currently, about 25% of the company's total chemical production is based on coal, and it is said that by 2015 its coal-based chemicals ratio will increase to 50%.
Eastman is currently implementing two coal gasification projects. One is to build coal gasification plant in the Gulf of Mexico to produce propylene for use in its Texas plant; the other is to convert coal to methanol and further convert it to ethylene glycol. Bank of America expects that Eastman will need to build three more coal gasification plants if it is to reach the target of 50% of coal-based chemicals in 2015.
Air liquefaction companies have also shown great interest in coal gasification technology in recent years. In April 2007, it acquired the Lurgi Coal Project, which includes coal chemicals and coal liquefaction systems. Air Liquide said the acquisition is an important step in strengthening its position in the hydrogen market.
So far, coal-based chemical production technology has not yet been widely used, in part because of its high infrastructure costs, which is about 2-3 times that of ethane crackers of the same size.
An unavoidable problem that needs to be solved in the further development of coal gasification technology is how to handle the large amount of CO2 produced in the production process. In the United States, the Gulf of Mexico and the Alberta region of Canada, excess CO2 is now injected underground to increase the productivity of old wells. Eastman's coal gasification technology does not have this problem because its industrial gasification system can capture CO2 at work. It is said that its thermal efficiency is even higher than that of a single coal-fired integrated gasification combined-cycle power plant. The company's existing and proposed coal gasification plants have achieved the co-production of electricity and chemicals.
In the future, U.S. government departments will encourage more use of coal to ease the U.S. energy demand pressure. With the continuous advancement of coal gasification technology for power generation and synthetic fuels, and the continued rise in the prices of oil and natural gas, the US coal chemical industry will see great development.
In recent years, as oil and natural gas prices have continued to soar, more companies have turned to coal-based synthesis gas. Syngas can be used to produce methanol, olefins, etc. About 1 ton of coal is required to produce 1 ton of methanol, of which 75% is used as raw material and the remaining 25% is used to generate energy. About 1 ton of methanol is needed to produce 1 ton of olefins (ethylene and propylene). In June 2007, US coal prices were about US$47.3/ton. Therefore, some companies are considering the possibility of investing in the development of coal chemical industry.
Bank of America market analysts pointed out that because oil and gas energy prices have risen to historical highs and there are great geopolitical risks in the Middle East, people are very worried about the normal supply of oil and gas in the future. Coal is the most abundant source of fuel on the planet. According to statistics, the global coal reserves are about 900 billion tons, of which the United States accounts for 27%, which is the largest share. In addition, the Russian Federation accounts for 17%, China 13%, India 10%, Australia 9%, South Africa 5%, Ukraine 4%, Kazakhstan 3%, and the other 12%. Bank of America believes that at the current consumption rate, global coal reserves can be used for at least 250 years.
The technical route of coal chemical industry includes the coal-carbide-acetylene route, coal tar route, coal-syngas-fuel route, coal-syngas-chemical line. Among them, coal gasification to produce syngas is the main technical route of coal chemical industry. Syngas can be further used to produce fuel, but also ethylene, propylene, etc. Syngas produced from coal gasification can also be used to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methanol, ammonia, etc., to produce a large number of various chemical products. At present, one of the development hotspots is the large integrated gasification combined cycle power plant (IGCC) whose core is the coal gasification technology. The IGCC technology has made the environmental protection issue more adequately resolved.
The pre-combustion treatment technology adopted by IGCC can not only greatly reduce the emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, but also indirectly reduce the amount of indirect solid waste and wastewater. Compared with other coal power generation methods, the high-pressure gasification technology used by IGCC has the lowest cost of removing mercury, carbon dioxide, high-priced sulfur and nitrogen oxides. At present, IGCC technology has been widely used in the United States, Europe and Japan.
Gasification technology has developed mature technologies so far. Eastman used coal gasification technology to produce chemical products for more than 20 years. The company converted high-sulphur coal to produce methanol, methyl acetate, acetic acid and other chemicals at the Kingsport plant in Tennessee, USA. The company also owns the first industrialized gasification unit in the United States. Currently, about 25% of the company's total chemical production is based on coal, and it is said that by 2015 its coal-based chemicals ratio will increase to 50%.
Eastman is currently implementing two coal gasification projects. One is to build coal gasification plant in the Gulf of Mexico to produce propylene for use in its Texas plant; the other is to convert coal to methanol and further convert it to ethylene glycol. Bank of America expects that Eastman will need to build three more coal gasification plants if it is to reach the target of 50% of coal-based chemicals in 2015.
Air liquefaction companies have also shown great interest in coal gasification technology in recent years. In April 2007, it acquired the Lurgi Coal Project, which includes coal chemicals and coal liquefaction systems. Air Liquide said the acquisition is an important step in strengthening its position in the hydrogen market.
So far, coal-based chemical production technology has not yet been widely used, in part because of its high infrastructure costs, which is about 2-3 times that of ethane crackers of the same size.
An unavoidable problem that needs to be solved in the further development of coal gasification technology is how to handle the large amount of CO2 produced in the production process. In the United States, the Gulf of Mexico and the Alberta region of Canada, excess CO2 is now injected underground to increase the productivity of old wells. Eastman's coal gasification technology does not have this problem because its industrial gasification system can capture CO2 at work. It is said that its thermal efficiency is even higher than that of a single coal-fired integrated gasification combined-cycle power plant. The company's existing and proposed coal gasification plants have achieved the co-production of electricity and chemicals.
In the future, U.S. government departments will encourage more use of coal to ease the U.S. energy demand pressure. With the continuous advancement of coal gasification technology for power generation and synthetic fuels, and the continued rise in the prices of oil and natural gas, the US coal chemical industry will see great development.
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