An Inconvenient Truth-Coal to Liquid

“The dominant reason petroleum is what we use today is, it’s the most efficient (fuel),” Burt Davis (UK Center for Applied Energy Research) notes. “It’s a matter of time, as I see it, until the two (petroleum efficiency and coal-to-liquid fuel

efficiency) become equal.”

That efficiency equality will result from the continuing decline of available petroleum and the increased efficiency of coal-to-liquid fuel that results from researchers’ efforts, he says.
Rodney Andrews, the center’s acting director, says CAER’s focus places the university among the leaders of researchers seeking fuels to provide energy independence.

“We’re looking at new catalyst systems and new process systems to make the process be more efficient (and) be more effective, and to better control what products are made,” Andrews says.

Since it opened in 1977, CAER has performed research seeking cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly ways to use coal and carbon.

However, the low cost of oil and gasoline discouraged energy companies from seeking alternative fuels. As the cost of oil and gasoline has risen to record levels in the last few years, interest in alternative fuels has emerged, generating renewed interest in ongoing research in processes such as coal-to-liquid.

Medindia