TITLE: Coal Conversion Comparisons. Final Report on Task 002.

AUTHOR: K. A. Rogers;   R. F. Hill.

INST.  AUTHOR: Engineering Societies Commission on Energy, Inc., Washington, DC.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Jul 79,  99p.

ABSTRACT:

This ESCOE Report examines technologies for producing synthetic fuels from coal. The conclusion is made that many processes are ready for commercial demonstration but synthetic fuel will be greater than conventional petroleum fuels. All product costs are on a consistent basis using the published ESCOE costing guidelines with both utility and private venture financing. All costs are in mid-1979 dollars. Most other studies report cost for derived products solely on an energy basis, $/million Btu. However, because the actual fuels have different inherent values (a gallon of boiler fuel is not usually worth as much as a gallon of gasoline), an economic comparison method was developed to reflect the value differences of the different fuel products. The ESCOE value method assigns relative values to all products from a multi-product synfuel process. This method incorporates the preferences of the marketplace to arrive at the necessary selling prices for each product. This report also gives process costs on the conventional energy basis. Two methods of financing, using typical utility and private venture returns on investment, are included for all products. The report divides the fourteen conversion processes studied into six groups: solid clean fuel, direct liquefaction, indirect liquefaction, synthetic natural gas, industrial gas, industrial gas, and electric power from a combined cycle-integrated gasifier system. Three of the processes are shown in an alternate mode of operation giving a total of seventeen sets of energy costs. The prediction is made that no major technological advances are expected which will significantly decrease synfuel costs. (ERA citation 05:009581)

CONTRACT  NUMBER: EF-77-C-01-2468