Earlier this month, Gas Technology Institute (GTI; Des Plaines, Ill.; www.gastechnology.org) and Yangquan Coal Industry Group signed an agreement to jointly develop an Industrial Demonstration Project for the R-GAS gasification process in China. The installation will be located at the largest coal-to-chemicals plant in Shanxi Province.
“GTI is honored to be partnering with Yangquan, a Global Fortune 500 company, to mature this innovative gasification system,” says Eddie Johnston, Senior Vice President, GTI Research and Technology Development. “This breakthrough technology provides significant economic and environmental benefits for Yangquan’s coal-to chemical processes.”
“The R-GAS technology has been successfully operated at pilot-scale (18 tons per day) on sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, high ash fusion temperature anthracite coal, and petroleum coke—all with excellent test results. This testing has been conducted at GTI’s pilot-scale facility located on an 18-acre campus right outside of Chicago, IL with more than 1,300 hours of hot fire testing achieved since commission of the pilot plant in December 2009.
The most recent long-duration testing was completed in December 2016 with a very high ash fusion temperature anthracite coal, which is predominant in China.
“Yangquan is one of the largest coal producers in China. This technology offers a step-change improvement in efficiency and cost over current gasification technology and is uniquely capable of gasifying China’s low-rank coal,” notes Mr. Zhai Hong, Chairman of Yangquan Group. “Coal is a leading energy choice in China, and finding the most cost effective and environmentally-friendly ways of using it will help to maintain its role as a vital contributor to our economy.”
The demonstration plant will validate long-duration reliability, operability, and capital costs. Commercial versions of the new gasifier will be about one-tenth the size of competing entrained flow technologies, and the compact size and advanced design features drive higher efficiency and lower cost. Capital expenditures are estimated to be 15-25% lower than the most economical entrained flow technology.
The design enables rapid start-up and shut-down, feedstock flexibility—able to operate with all ranks of coal—and process optimization capability. R-GAS also consumes up to 30% less water and the higher efficiency results in lower overall emissions. Cost for electricity generation, chemicals, and liquid fuels production are estimated to be 15% to 25% lower compared with existing technologies.