Clean-coal technology unveiled in Des Plaines
Responding to a need for affordable clean-coal technology, an energy conservation company unveiled a new $17 million facility in Des Plaines Thursday afternoon.
A group of about 40 people, including partners from ExxonMobil Research and the Illinois Department of Energy, gathered to see the state-of-the art equipment for the first time.
The new technology aimed at decreasing the cost and environmental impact of processing coal stands five stories tall in its own building on the Gas Technology Institute campus in Des Plaines.
California-based Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a unit of United Technologies Corp., spearheaded the effort of the compact gasification pilot plant designed to make coal and other materials a more affordable, alternative fuel source.
"The goals are to lower energy costs, provide a cleaner alternative fuel source and strengthen the nation's energy security," said Jim Maser, president of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
Gasification is a process that converts carbon-containing material such as coal into synthesis gas called syngas. Syngas can be burned to produce electricity or further processed to manufacture chemicals, fertilizers, liquid fuels, substitute natural gas or hydrogen.
"This is game-changing technology. This is going to be hard to beat," said Bruce Bryan, director of gasification at Gas Technology Institute, while touring the facility Thursday.
What makes the new gasifier unique is that it's about one-tenth the size of competing technologies, which makes it more efficient and reliable, Bryan added.
The technology is expected to enable 15 percent to 25 percent lower cost for electricity generation and chemicals production compared with existing gasification technologies, Maser said.
As part of the project, Pratt & Whitney is also partnering with Alberta Energy Research Institute of Canada. Together they are working use the gasification technology to extract energy from huge areas of oil-saturated sands in Canada.
Engineers hope to begin running full tests at the Des Plaines plant in December. More than 1,000 hours of testing will then be needed. "We hope to bring it to the commercial market in 2015," said Steve Fusselman, a lead scientist with Pratt & Whitney.
"It takes a long time to bring these projects forward," said Warren Ribley, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "We're embarking on another milestone here," Ribley said before touring the plant.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.
In developing the new technology, Pratt & Whitney used its experience in creating rocket engines and spacecraft. To date, the company's engines have placed hundreds of military, government and commercial satellites into orbit as well as 800 astronauts, Maser said.