by peak » Wed 07 May 2008, 02:37:17
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Gandalf_the_White', '
')
I wonder what the spatial range is for positive EROEI of CTL by all available technologies. For instance would it be worthwhile to ship coal to a plant by coal powered rail then get the CTL out to millions of auto users and still have engouh left to ship back to the mine to make sure the coal comes out of the ground as fast as we need it to?
I heard that a gallon of gas can move a single freight (empty I don't know) about 300 miles.
If China can put up a coal powerplant a week then why can't we do the same? Even a 5% increase in coal mining YOY can offset peak conventional oil. China is increasing capacity much more than that.
If China can increase coal capacity much more than 10% a year, why can't we increase coal capacity 5% a year??
Somebody shown a picture of just how much energy 1 cubic mile of oil is, but that is almost world demand.
1 cubic mile of oil contains 26,217,075,000 barrels.
world consumption of oil per year is 30,660,000,000 barrels.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Gandalf_the_White', '
') It starts to sound a little impractical. Right now though (I almost get sick of saying this) the last drops of LSC are subsidizing all these losing projects. Ethanol never had a leg to stand on when it came to EROEI, but someone was able to make money off of it. It shows some of the frailties of the marketplace. Caveat Emptor.
Not a single pure play ethanol stock that I know made money.
I'm sure CTL is, 50% loss in conversion but it is still enough to make it viable.
Plus oil sands is already showing very profitable results especially when crude oil is trading at $122.