Today’s Vehicles

Environmentally Sound

Coal gasification, which is also an initial stage of producing liquid fuels from coal, removes impurities from coal and enables the U.S. to use its unrivalled coal reserves — the world’s largest — in an environmentally responsible way.

The low particulate, low mercury and almost zero sulfur emission profile of these fuels means reduced tailpipe emissions, cleaner running mass transit systems in urban communities, no measurable toxic pollutants and lower emissions from fuel production. The result is a fuel that burns much cleaner than conventional diesels and cleaner than gasoline in use today.

Process Emissions As coal is gasified, impurities in the gas stream such as heavy metals and mercury can be scrubbed out with relative ease. Post gasification treatment of the resulting gas removes virtually all of the particulate matter and any residual metals. The result is a near zero-sulfur fuel and lower NOx emissions because the fuel itself does not contribute to NOx formation in engine cylinders. The process also yields virtually no measurable amounts of acids or hazardous air pollutants.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction The coal gasification process can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions suspected of contributing to climate change. Because coal gasification reduces the cost and energy required to remove carbon, it can be more easily captured for use in enhanced oil and coal bed methane recovery or for safe storage deep underground. A January 2009 analysis by the National Energy Technology Laboratory showed that coupling carbon sequestration with the coal to liquid fuels production process can economically create transportation fuels with lower carbon footprints than the same fuels produced by refining oil.  According to NETL, “Coupling the process with carbon sequestration is relatively inexpensive (adding only 7 cents per gallon to the Required Selling Price (RSP) of the diesel product) and results in a fuel with appreciably less (5-12%) life cycle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions than the average U.S. petroleum-derived diesel.”  The report further concludes that by substituting just 8 percent of the coal with biomass feedstock will produce fuels with 20% lower life cycle GHG emissions than petroleum-derived diesel. A complete copy of the NETL report can be found here.

Clean Byproducts The gasification and subsequent liquefaction processes also produce valuable by-products. Elemental sulfur has industrial uses while other materials would be treated and contained as in any modern coal fueled power station.

Biodegradable Fuels Liquid fuels derived from coal are more biodegradable than conventional diesel thanks to its molecular structure and the absence of aromatics.

Coal Mining Oversight Supplies of additional coal for feedstock will be mined domestically under the most comprehensive environmental and safety laws in the world. Coal mining operations are subject to the following federal environmental and safety laws:

• National Environmental Policy Act
• Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• Mine Safety and Health Act
• National Historic Preservation Act
• Toxic Substances Control Act
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• BLM and Forest Service Regulations
• Wilderness Act