“Unlike conventional transportation fuels, CTL fuels, made using an indirect liquefaction process, produce tailpipe emissions that are almost completely free of sulfur.” (Coal International – January/February 2007)


History

The coal-to-liquids (CTL) process was discovered by German scientists and used to make fuels during World War II. Since that time, there has been varying intensity of interest in this technology. As the price of petroleum and natural gas stays high, there will be an increasing interest in developing the commercial potential of producing synthetic liquid fuels from coal

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Economics

CTL plant costs will vary based on location, capacity, construction climate, product slate and coal type. The Fishcer-Tropsch synthesis using coal has been criticized as inefficient and thus costly. The MIT report concludes, “Today, the U.S. consumes about 13 million barrels per day of liquid transportation fuels. To replace 10% of this fuels consumption with liquids from coal would require over $70 billion in capital investment and about 250 million tons of coal per year. This would effectively require a 25% increase in our current coal production which would come with its own set of challenges.

Key Coal To Oil Industry Players


The Coal To Oil Lobby

Backers say a vibrant CTL industry has the potential to create thousands of jobs, significantly cut oil imports, and reduce energy costs.

Coal to Oil Congressional Caucus

Research

R. Agrawal, N. R. Singh, F. H. Ribeiro and W. N. Delgass (2007). "Sustainable fuel for the transportation sector". PNAS 104 (12): 4828-4833. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0609921104.

C. Yokokawa, et al., "Studies on the Catalysts for Coal Liquefaction," Nenryo Kyokaishi, 70 (10), pp. 978-984 (1991) (Abstract).