News

Kentucky IGCC Project, U.S. DOE Sign Cooperative Agreement (11/19/99)

The Kentucky Pioneer Energy Project and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed a cooperative agreement under the Clean Coal Technology Program for a cost-shared $432 million integrated gasification combined cycle power project. The project sponsor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Energy USA Ltd., will provide $354 million of the project's cost and the DOE, $78 million. The 400 megawatt IGCC plant will be located in Clark County, Kentucky. The facility will employ the British Gas/Lurgi slagging gasification process to convert briquettes made of coal and municipal solid waste into synthesis gas. Startup is scheduled for 2002.

For more details visit http://www.fe.doe.gov/techline/tl_global.html .

U.S. DOE Commits $30 Million to Design of Three Gasification Based Coproduction Facilities (8/17/99)

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced awards totaling $30 million to underwrite the preliminary design of three gasification-based projects that will convert a range of coal and non-coal feedstocks into power, fuels and chemicals. The awards were made under the "early entry coproduction plant" solicitation announced late last year. The coproduction plant concept is a key element of the Department's Vision 21 program.

Each of the project teams will use the funds to conduct research, development and testing to culminate in preliminary engineering designs for the coproduction plants. The work will be carried out over the next three to five years.

Details regarding the projects are available on the DOE's Fossil Energy Techline web site: http://www.fe.doe.gov/techline/tl_eecp2.html .

World Gasification Capacity Up 64% During The Nineties (7/8/99)

Worldwide gasification capacity has grown by 64% during the past decade, according to preliminary data from a study being prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy. The figures were cited in a presentation by James Childress, Executive Director of the Gasification Technologies before an advisory committee of the National Research Council in Washington, DC late last month. A copy of Mr. Childress' remarks before the NRC Committee on R&D Opportunities for Advanced Fossil-fueled Energy Complexes is available on this site. The preliminary data were derived from a worldwide gasification database being developed for the U.S. Department of Energy by the firm of SFA Pacific in cooperation with member companies of the Gasification Technologies Council. The database is expected to be completed later this year and the results will be incorporated into a paper to be delivered at the Gasification Technologies Conference in San Francisco in October.

The NRC committee has been tasked with evaluating the U.S. Department of Energy's Vision 21 program which will rely to a large degree on gasification technologies to achieve significant environmental, efficiency and economic improvements in fossil fuel use in the next century.

Information about Vision 21 is available at the DOE's Fossil Energy Office Website .

EPA Said Considering Broader RCRA Gasification Exclusion (5/17/99)

The EPA is reported to be considering a broader RCRA exclusion for gasification under a draft, according to an article from the BNA Daily Environment Report detailing the Gasification Technologies Council's supplemental comments submitted to the Agency on May 13 (see below).

The Agency is said to now be looking at an exclusion that would "also apply to power plants, chemical manufacturers, and other sites," according to the article.

The BNA article is reprinted with permission from Daily Environment Report , No. 93 (May 14, 1999). Copyright 1999 by the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033).

GTC Files Comments with U.S. EPA Differentiating Gasification from Combustion (5/13/99)

The Gasification Technologies Council has filed supplemental comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding a proposed rule that would exclude from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) jurisdiction oil bearing secondary materials generated at petroleum refineries and reused as feedstock in gasification units.

RCRA is the primary U.S. law regulating solid waste handling and disposal.

The GTC comments differentiate gasification from combustion of hazardous wastes and were drafted in response to negative comments submitted on the proposed rule by the Environmental Technology Council, which represents the hazardous waste incineratorindustry, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

"The EDF/ETC comments revealed a lack of understanding of modern gasification technologies," said James Childress, the GTC Executive Director. "We wanted to make sure that the public record clearly reflects the benefits of gasification over waste incineration and that the EPA would have sufficient information to consider a broader RCRA exclusion for all carbonaceous materials fed to any modern, high temperature slagging gasification unit, whether in a refinery or not."

The Council is in settlement discussions with the EPA over a challenge it filed to a prior rulemaking that would subject synthesis gas produced from waste materials to regulation under RCRA. See prior stories for news and links to documents related to these two issues.

Notice to GTC Official Representatives: Draft Supplemental Response to EPA on Refinery Gasification Proposal Available (1/29/99)

The draft supplemental material (including the draft definition of "gasification" for purposes of RCRA exclusion) now under review are contained in the "Members Only" section on the "Communication Archive" page. Deadline for comments is Friday, February 12, 5:00 p.m. EST. Top of the page