Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 19:12:36 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5.2 Last-modified: Wed, 09 Jul 1997 15:10:43 GMT Content-type: text/html Content-length: 9287 Zeigler Environmental Businesses

ENCOAL Corporation

ENCOAL Corporation operates a clean coal technology plant in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Using the "Liquids From Coal" process developed in connection with SGI International, ENCOAL converts each ton of sub-bituminous or lignite coal into three products:
  1. a half-ton of solid product that is lower in sulfur and moisture and higher in heating value, called Process Derived Fuel (PDF);
  2. six-tenths of a barrel of Coal Derived Liquid (CDL); and
  3. a gas by-product that helps fuel the ENCOAL plant.
Since early 1995, ENCOAL has:
  • completed several successful test burns of the solid and made further strides in product production and stabilization
  • signed letters of intent for feasibility studies and licenses with agencies in Indonesia and Russia, each of which have low-rank coals that could benefit from ENCOAL technology
  • favorably renegotiated its agreement with SGI International for the TEK-KOL Partnership, which licenses the LFC technology to domestic and overseas partners
  • through TEK-KOL, entered into strategic alliances with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a strategic partner in feasibility studies and construction efforts
ENCOAL now considers the technology largely proven and is focusing heavily on commercialization efforts. In addition to overseas agreements, the company believes opportunities also exist domestically, with electric utilities, steel makers and other industrial customers.

The Products

Process Derived Fuel (PDF):

The solid product from the LFC process is similar to a low to medium volatile bituminous coal.

The process leaves PDFTM with a much higher heating value and lower moisture and sulfur content than the original sub-bituminous feed coal, while retaining the parent coal¹s low ash fusion temperatures.

The combustion and handling properties of PDFTM compare favorably to those of the parent coal.

Typical PDF Qualtiy Comparison

Feed Coal PDF
Heating Value (Btu/lb.) 8,300 11,400
SO2 (#/MMBtu) 1.2 .8
H2O (% wt.) 30 8
Ash (% wt.) 5 8.5
Volatiles (% wt.) 29 20
Fixed Carbon (% wt.) 36 66
Sulfur (% wt.) 0.45 .50
Ash Fusion Temp. (°F) 2,220 2,220

Coal Derived Liquid (CDLTM):

The liquid product is essentially a coal-derived hydrocarbon with low sulfur No. 6 fuel oil, a product widely used in industrial boilers.

Upgrading the CDLTM to be a good feed stock for certain high-value specialty chemicals production and transportation fuels appears both technically feasible and economically attractive. Modifications to the ENCOAL plant are planned to produce these upgraded products in the near future.

Typical CDL Quality Comparison

CDL Low Sulfur
Industrial Fuel
API Gravity (°) 2 5
Sulfur (%) 0.3 0.8
Nitrogen (%) 0.6 0.3
Oxygen (%) 6.2 0.6
Viscosity @ 122°F (cs) 88 420
Pour Point (°F) 80 50
Flash Point (°F) 165 150
MBtu/gal 140 150

The Facility

The site of the LFC demonstration plant is adjacent to Triton Coal Company's Buckskin Mine, 10 miles north of Gillette, Wyo. Triton provides a ready supply of sub-bituminous coal ­ and numerous other services ­ for the project.

ENCOAL is encouraged by the results of the work to date. It believes the LFC technology will open the door to new markets for Powder River Basin-type coals and will provide an alternative for continued economic operation of coal-fired plants at greatly reduced emissions levels.

The ENCOAL Advantage

The products of the LFC process offer users fuel alternatives capable of lowering emissions and enhancing the environment. In many cases, emission reductions will result in little or no cost increase to the consumer, a factor that makes the process attractive to electric power consumers.

When compared to the DOE's typical coal-burning station using medium-sulfur level coals, reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on the order of 160,000 tons per year for each commercial LFC unit utilizing a PRB feedstock can be anticipated.

PDF and CDL provide an economical choice for those companies required to meet changing air quality regulations governing sulfur content.

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