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Coal Gasification Facility Commissioned in LaramieCoal Gasification Facility Commissioned in LaramieFriday, January 27, 2012  Funded by Emery Energy Company, the Wyoming Clean Coal Technologies Research Program, and the Department of Energy, the FlexFeedTM gasifier combines technology from both fixed-bed and entrained flow gasification processes to allow greater feedstock flexibility and heat integration. Gasification is a process that turns coal into syngas and subsequently into power, chemicals, hydrogen and transportation fuels; and it can also be used to capture carbon from coal for sequestration or used in enhanced oil recovery. Emery’s combined design allows for improved cold gas efficiencies, a reduction of pollutants in the gas produced, and flexibility in the feedstocks that can be used. “This new gasification facility creates a great opportunity to demonstrate the Emery technology at an industrial scale to obtain critical data necessary for technology scale-up,” Emery Energy Company President Ben Phillips says. “The installation will also establish the ability to test technologies developed by others, ranging from synthesis gas cleaning to liquid fuels and chemical production,” Phillips says. “By locating at WRI’s Advanced Technology Center in Laramie, Emery is able to draw on the depth and knowledge of WRI scientists and staff who bring years of experience in a variety of thermal and catalytic processes,” he says. “Ultimately, we hope this demonstration plant lays the groundwork to diversify how Wyoming coals are used and to develop commercial-scale, low-carbon Emery coal gasification plants within the state.” “We’re very pleased to partner with Emery Energy for this project. It’s the kind of work we’re uniquely situated to do,” WRI Senior Vice President Vijay Sethi says. “We have the facility, the ability, the resources, and – perhaps most importantly – the elevation to execute this project.” The Wyoming Clean Coal Technologies Research Program was established by the Wyoming State Legislature in 2007 to stimulate research and development in the area of low-emissions and advanced coal technologies that expand markets for Wyoming’s coal resource. In the coming months, the newly constructed FlexFeedTM gasifier will undergo substantial operational testing using Wyoming coal and biomass feedstocks to determine operation and maintenance costs and the economic feasibility of creating a commercial-scale facility for the production of power, fuels and chemicals. The next phase of the project will be funded by the Clean Coal Technologies Research Program and the U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program to test biomass feedstocks. “Investing in this kind of research is unquestionably one of the most prudent moves we can make,” Clean Coal Task Force Chairman Ron Harper says. “Finding new, more sustainable and profitable uses for Wyoming’s vast coal resource benefits so many across the state and the nation. We’re making good progress and the state’s investments are starting to pay off.” Since 2007, the Clean Coal Technologies Research Program has committed more than $25 million to 40 research projects aimed at finding new ways to use Wyoming coal. Photo: Emery Energy Company’s FlexFeed TM gasification plant at Western Research Institute in Laramie, Wyo. (Emery Energy photo) |
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