Published: August 15, 2007 08:12 am      

Coal-to-liquids touted as way to U.S. energy independence

National security, energy independence and financial dividends for West Virginia coal mining were the hot topics of discussion Tuesday evening as the Coal-To-Liquids Coalition’s two-day conference got under way at The Resort at Glade Springs.

The conference, organized by the coal industry, intends to showcase the benefits of converting coal to motor fuels. For those at Tuesday’s dinner, the concept is vital to expanding America’s energy independence.

“At WVU (West Virginia University), we’re going to run the ball in football, we’re going to shoot threes in basketball and we’re going to do coal utilization in chemical engineering,” said Elliot B. Kennel, administrative coordinator of carbon products research at WVU.

“It’s clear to most people that the United States is too dependent on overseas sources of petroleum. The petroleum supply, we think, is becoming more limited. We believe the technology exists to expand the supply of liquid fuels by using coal for that purpose.”

According to Kennel, WVU has several programs aimed at researching coal-to-liquids technology. Coal may be converted to liquid via indirect liquefaction, during which coal is transformed to a gas and then a liquid, as well as direct liquefaction, where coal goes straight from a solid to a liquid.

Kennel estimates such a process will eventually create motor fuels to the tune of $35 to $40 per barrel. He is well aware of environmental concerns.

“I think everyone needs to be very sensitive about the environmental consequences of any form of energy,” he emphasized.

“I don’t believe there’s any form of energy that has all advantages and zero disadvantages, as far as greenhouse emissions and other air emissions are concerned. We need to establish a set of requirements. If we know what the requirements are, the fuels we’re developing can meet and exceed the requirements and outperform most sources of petroleum.”

The key, for Kennel, is having a level playing field with the purveyors of other forms of energy. “If we have a level playing field, we will win.” As he sees it, the bottom line is national security.

“If we don’t have this, we will be susceptible to wild swings in petroleum prices that can go very high and very low. It’s very important for West Virginia to be a national leader in this area, I believe.”

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Dr. Ronald M. Sega, undersecretary for the U.S. Air Force, buttressed Kennel’s argument for CTL as a source of energy security. In fact, Sega flew the Air Force’s first test flight last September at Edwards Air Force Base in California of a B-52 fueled in equal measures by jet fuel and a synthetic fuel. He has high hopes for CTL’s potential for the Air Force, one of the largest consumers of fuel in the country.

“The Air Force uses 2.5 billion gallons of jet fuel (per year),” Sega noted. “The fuel we used (in the test flight) came from natural gas. You can have other starting materials, and coal is clearly one of those. In our first major test, it (blend of jet fuel and synthetic fuel) proved to be a viable fuel.”

Sega, today’s keynote speaker, said he hopes to learn more about where the community stands on the topic and outline the Air Force’s energy strategy.

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“We cannot continue relying on foreign, unstable sources of oil, many of whom are known sponsors of terrorism,” Rep. Nick Rahall declared, speaking prior to dinner.

“We can’t rely on the domestic oil industry. We see what disruptions like (Hurricane) Katrina caused our domestic market.”

Rahall, D-W.Va., pointed to the great incentives that have been provided to the oil industry over the years and expressed hope that Congress could do something similar to help CTL get off the ground a bit faster.

“Look at the billions we’ve given the oil industry over the years. Some help is necessary and due this industry (CTL). The private sector can’t be expected to do it all. This industry will go regardless of what Congress does.”

For the Beckley resident, Raleigh County is a most fitting location for such a conference that he said has brought together the best and brightest in the coal industry. “It’s very important,” he emphasized of the locale.

“This is the heart of the coalfields, right here in southern West Virginia. We have the natural resource to keep this industry going for the future. The technology is there. We need to put our heads to the grindstone and go do it.”

The congressman also attempted to allay environmental concerns about the budding technology by insisting that CTL can be a clean-burning fuel. He also noted it is not the only alternative fuel out there.

“We’re all in this together. I’m not working at cross purposes with the environmentalists at all,” he declared, noting CTL is even cleaner when combined with 30 percent biomass (or plant material) and the carbon is captured and sequestered.

“I share the same goals as the environmentalists do. We’re all environmentalists. For CTL to be successful, it has to be a clean-burning fuel, and we’re working to make it clean. I’m for developing all our domestic resources. We have a lot of natural gas activity in West Virginia. We have solar, wind, nuclear power. All are very important parts of our domestic energy production.”

In prepared remarks Tuesday evening, Rahall spoke of “the coal of a modern age,” one that burns cleaner than it did in years past.

“By providing the means to prevent our troops from being mired again and again in unstable foreign sands, under the control of oil-wielding despots, (CTL) may prove to be one of the most effective weapons in the Pentagon’s pre-emptive arsenal.”

According to Rahall, one-third of transportation fuel used in South Africa is derived from coal, while China, India and Indonesia are all rapidly pursuing CTL technology. “America is lagging behind, dragging its feet. This is not the way of America,” he said.

E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com