Coal-to-Liquid (CTL)
Overview Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) is a proven technology that is being used throughout the world to produce an abundance of clean burning, low sulfur fuels and diesel for use by the military and commercial entities. Current uses demonstrate how CTL fuels can provide a sustainable power supply using a domestic energy source, coal – a commodity that we in the United States have tremendous reserves of. CTL provides a viable alternative to unstable crude oil supplies and markets, and provides America with a homegrown energy supply for generations to come.
Clean liquid coal is not pie in the sky; it is a viable alternative to current energy production that is happening throughout the world including South Africa, India and China.
There are two methods in the production of Coal-to-Liquid fuels:
Direct Liquefaction
Direct CTL starts with coal in its raw state. The coal is then subject to extreme heat and pressure to produce a synthesis gas comprised of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is then filtered to remove impurities, such as mercury and sulfur. It is then passed through to the second stage Fischer Tropsch Process, which is where the filtered gas is converted into clean liquid fuel in the Coal-to-Liquid process.
The diesel which is produced through the Fischer Tropsch Process has a high cetane value, has almost no sulfur and is much cleaner than diesel currently on the market.
Indirect Liquefaction
The process of indirect liquefaction converts the low sulfur coal found in areas such as Montana, to form ‘syngas’, which is a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas is then condensed using the Fischer Tropsch Process which produce high quality clean products including diesel, lubricants and alternative fuels such as dimethyl either.