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[Editor’s Note: Money Morning recently conducted a Q&A with Dr. Kent Moors on the future of energy. Dr. Moors last wrote about Marcellus Gas Shale, a new energy-sector profit play.]
A new fuel technology – unveiled just two weeks ago – is about to revolutionize the energy business.
I saw it firsthand.
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) asked me to present “The Future of Natural Gas” at the company’s Gas Turbine Symposium in Greenville, S.C. That’s where GE revealed a new generation of its market-leading turbine technology.
COAL GASIFICATION DETAILS FROM GE/USA
Interesting. How come no mention of SAS?
IGCC's were big news 10 years ago when we had the first big gas fired power boom. Back then nat gas was supposedly going to be cheap and abundant, too. Then prices spiked to double digits and we decided we needed LNG terminals so we wouldn't run out of gas. Now shale gas is going make gas cheap and abundant again. Assuming that drilling goes on continuously every year for the next "n" years. Meantime, gas drilliers are saying that a slowdown in drilling will cause gas prices to rise again in another year or so. Everyone can't be right!
Regarding this new gassification process that GE is researching, is it not clear why GE is trying to push the cap and trade legislation. Once passed, GE stands to rake in serious money with a little help from their friends in government.
Interesting, but not adequately described in technical and economic terms (costs to build and operate) to make a convincing argument for this technology. And why no mention of ABB in this context? They, too, appear to be a world class provider of a variety of large capacity electrical power generation turbine technologies.
I think this is a misnomer to talk about IGCC as a New Technology that 'Turns coal into high powered gas' , for the sheer fact that coal gasification is an old process and it is only the integration of this, to drive a a gas turbine ( i.e. replacing liquid fuel injection in a Gas Turbine to gasifier gas ) that is commendable. The gasifier generates CO,CO2,H2 and other gases, which after purification may be designed to deliver CO and H2 known as syngas. The compostion of the syngas may be optimized to deliver maximum H2 compared to CO, for achieving higher heating value. This gas may be compressed and injected into the combuster to yield high temperature gases, which is used to drive a turbine to generate power. The greatest advantage of this process is , any type of coal ( high ash, high sulfur etc ) may be gasified by water shift reaction, at high temperature. The only problem lies in gas purification steps and disposal of bottom ash. All coal based fertilizer plants can enhance their capacity to have a combination of IGCC and Shift conversion process to produce Ammonia and power from the syngas. This two in one technology will bring down the cost of power generation substantially, compared to setting up an IGCC plant, exclusively for power generation.
This sounds too good to be true. What is the hold up in implementing this spectacular technology? Red tape? Vested interests? How far does this go to preclude the necesssity of having to resort to Nuclear Energy for the resolution of the looming energy crisis that faces this country? (UK)
Good day:
Wonder if this technology could be combined with VISION 21 project.
So to possibly result in a real 100% clean thermal power plant,without chimenys, using any solid fuel (any type of coal,PC,or even urban residue),and still some portion of the GHG or CO2,could be used to exhaust oil fields etc?.
Thank you.