This particular project isn’t exactly a rail boon, but the technology itself has merit for rail mobilization beyond the scale provided by the ethanol boom. If I understand correctly, this coal-water fuel also cannot be transported via petroleum pipeline, so if it becomes vogue all the long haul will go by rail.
Silverado Green Fuel Inc. announced plans today to build the first low-rank coal-water fuel (“Green Fuel”) facility in the United States. The $26 M project, to be located on 14-acres outside of Ackerman in the Red Hills EcoPlex in Choctaw County, Mississippi, is designed to utilize the state’s vast supply of low-rank coal reserves by converting them into Green Fuel, a new form of coal-based, environmentally friendly, low-cost, alternative fuel. The facility will create local jobs, inject a sizable capital investment in the local economy, and highlight Mississippi as a national leader in alternative energy and clean coal technologies.
The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State of Mississippi as represented by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA); Choctaw County Board of Supervisors; and the Choctaw County Economic Development District to build a facility designed to demonstrate the economic feasibility and environmental superiority of converting low-rank coals into a stable liquid fuel that can be used efficiently, while also defining exact parameters for a commercial facility.
“This project is a key step toward full commercial production of green fuel and the culmination of our work over the past six years to develop advanced, efficient and cleaner coal technologies,” said Silverado Green Fuel Inc. CEO Garry L. Anselmo. "We are pleased to have worked with the state of Mississippi and Choctaw County officials since July of 2005 to make this facility a reality. We look forward to further strengthening our relation
Lignite has a high moisture content, this does not equate with liquid water but is one of the reasons that it has a lower energy content. A question that hasn’t been addressed is that although lignite is relatively cheap, how much will the output of this plant cost the ultimate consumer, presumably power plants whose boilers might have to be redesigned to use it.
I think the thought is that the product itself is so cheap compared to other liquid fuels such as fuel oil, that any retrofit of those types of boilers will be more than offset by lower fuel costs. I don’t know if that holds true for boilers designed for pulverized coal. It may be that coal-water fuel is easily adaptable to ICCG plants.
What I find intriguing about coal-water fuel is that it seems primed for use in classic steam engines. Could this be the fuel of the back-to-the-future that brings back classic steam?
I seriously doubt that any fuel will bring back “classic” steam since operation and maintenance of steam locomotives is labor-intensive. Also, an entire infrastructure to support such an operation would have to be rebuilt virtually from scratch. Except for the odd coaling tower or water tank that was too expensive to remove, there isn’t much out there.
I am trying to wrap my mind around this concept of a boiler fuel that is a high percentage of low grade combustible fuel [lignite coal] that is incorporated with water to fire a boiler. I could visualize fuel that might be wet on injection into the firebox, but to take water and a low grade combustible, and inject it into the boiler and expect a fire to burn it does not seem to make sense. I am kind of reminded of a deal an ex-brother-in-law got into down in SE Okla, where there were huge quantities of mine [lead and zinc] tailings, and he was going to get rich extracting the gold and silver out of those tailings. In fact, there were precious metals in the tailings, but to extract them was going to amount to handling so much of the tailings for a return in ounces, it was rediculous. The only people who made money on the deal were the guys who thought of the scam. And it was just that, a scam. Maybe somebody can explain this process that is going to create fuel from water and lignite and where, and in what ways will they be able to use it. Thanks, in advance
Well, I don’t want to re-re-re-reargue the whole steam vs diesel debate. Suffice it to say modernized “classic” steam can be operated within the constraints of the current infrastructure.
The point is, this coal-water fuel (if legit) would be the perfect fuel for steam engines, cheaper by far than fuel oil, much easier to handle than coal or synthetic coal. The cost of this coal-water fuel is roughly a third the cost of diesel fuel, and if that gap widens there will be a point where steam will be less expensive overall than diesel.
Think of it this way: The water (e.g. the non-volatile component) is the transport agent for the micronized coal (the volatile component). As long as the non-volatile component does not inhibit the volatile component, a fire will be sustained provided one can get it going. The trick will probably be that some kind of starter fuel will be used to get the fire hot, then the coal-water fuel will be used to sustain the fire.
It may be akin to using green wood for a fire - you first have to get the fire going real good, then you can add green logs to sustain the fire without loss of heat.