The Adams Fork Energy project will convert regional coal into premium-grade gasoline, producing 18,000 barrels per day (756,000 gallons US, 2.86 million liters). When fully developed, the Adams Fork project will be the largest coal-to-gasoline project in the world, according to Adam Victor, President and CEO of TransGas Development Systems. The project team has been issued a permit to construct by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and plans to begin work on the site during the second quarter of 2011.
The $64 question is: What will be the real EROEI ratio for this production process?
If it is not any better that that for corn ethanol, then we may be witnessing little more that political grandstanding.
The gasification process to be used in the new West Virginia CTL plant could cleanly utilise coals of any grade -- including the cheapest and dirtiest coal.
By moving US coal reserves into the liquid fuels arena, the prospects for peak oil continue to remain slight...