WVU, Defense Department seek alternative fuels from coal

With oil prices topping $62 a barrel, an official with the U.S. Department of Defense told a national audience of fuel researchers meeting in West Virginia that the department is actively looking for partners to build a commercial plant to produce alternative liquid fuels from domestic resources such as coal.

Harrison proposed the co-production of Fischer-Tropsch fuel, electricity and fertilizer from a single gasification plant in a joint venture involving coal, power and chemical companies. Such so-called polygeneration plants may offer the type of commercial success that the department seeks to ensure the long-term supply of domestic fuel.

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