A US$1 million grant from the US Department of Energy and the Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) is funding the continued development of a process that turns coal into jet fuel, reports New York's Air Cargo World.
The project, undertaken by Battelle, a Columbus-based research institute, was specifically advanced by the federal government with the goal of finding higher-value applications of coal, back in 2016.
'Our objectives are to demonstrate a straightforward path to near-term commercial production of jet fuel from coal using biomass-derived coal solvents,' said Satya Chauhan, the leader of Battelle's process-development team.
'The Battelle process offers a significant reduction in capital and operating costs and a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,' he said.
Battelle researchers estimate that the breakthrough technology, which converts bituminous coal into polyurethane foam by adding hydrogen to the finely ground coal, would take another five years of development before the products are ready for market.
'We figured out that if you could add some hydrogen to coal, you could make a liquid out of it,' Mr Chauhan said. 'It would be a heavy liquid. It would be heavier than petroleum crude. And depending on how much hydrogen you add you can make jet fuel.'
And when these products are ready to go to market, Battelle and the project's funders expect that they'll be lucrative. Coal sells for about $50 to $60 per .ton. The polyurethane foam products would sell for an estimated $5,000 to $6,000 per ton.
Additionally, this process would repurpose a controversial raw material in a much eco-friendlier way.
WORLD SHIPPING
The project, undertaken by Battelle, a Columbus-based research institute, was specifically advanced by the federal government with the goal of finding higher-value applications of coal, back in 2016.
'Our objectives are to demonstrate a straightforward path to near-term commercial production of jet fuel from coal using biomass-derived coal solvents,' said Satya Chauhan, the leader of Battelle's process-development team.
'The Battelle process offers a significant reduction in capital and operating costs and a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,' he said.
Battelle researchers estimate that the breakthrough technology, which converts bituminous coal into polyurethane foam by adding hydrogen to the finely ground coal, would take another five years of development before the products are ready for market.
'We figured out that if you could add some hydrogen to coal, you could make a liquid out of it,' Mr Chauhan said. 'It would be a heavy liquid. It would be heavier than petroleum crude. And depending on how much hydrogen you add you can make jet fuel.'
And when these products are ready to go to market, Battelle and the project's funders expect that they'll be lucrative. Coal sells for about $50 to $60 per .ton. The polyurethane foam products would sell for an estimated $5,000 to $6,000 per ton.
Additionally, this process would repurpose a controversial raw material in a much eco-friendlier way.
WORLD SHIPPING