Liquid coal - The cleanest and cheapest fuel in the 21st century

In the flourishing period of the railway industry, coal was the fuel used to operate the train engine. Today, nearly two centuries since the steam-powered Rocket train invented by George Stephenson helped usher in the Industrial Revolution, coal will also be the core fuel of the jet era. . But the difference is that the aircraft in the future may be operated by liquid fuel made from coal or natural gas.

The US Air Force is currently testing the operation of the B-52 Stratofortress " flying fortress " with fuel derived from coal. Coal mining companies in the United States, one of the world's largest coal reserves, are investing in developing fuels instead of coal (carbon). Technology to produce liquid fuel from coal or natural gas is hardly new. Fischer-Tropsch process (in which coal is converted into gas before liquefaction (Photo: BaoCanTho) into fuel) dates back to 1923 and was used by Germany and Japan during World War II to create alternative fuels. And coal-to-liquid (CTL) 'coal-to-liquid' (CTL) fuel has been used in many countries like South Africa, meeting 30% of transportation fuel needs.

In addition to being cheaper than oil, proponents point out that this fuel is environmentally friendly and will help the United States to depend on imported oil from abroad. According to David Neeleman, CEO and founder of JetBlue Airlines, taking advantage of domestic coal reserves is a reasonable solution for the US to reach its energy autonomy.

In addition, CTL burns significantly cleaner than conventional fuels. Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the American Coal Mine Association, warned the United States of risk of falling behind economic rivals such as China, intending to spend $ 25 billion to build CTL factories. Many experts believe that the US has been behind in capturing the huge potential of liquid fuels that coal brings. It is estimated that each factory in the US is capable of producing 40,000 barrels of CTL per day, with an average of 8.5 million tons of coal per year. Meanwhile, China focuses on building factories with a capacity of 60,000 barrels of CTL / day.

Facing the current high oil price, many companies are investing in CTL development technology promising to bring lucrative resources. Gregory Boyce, CEO of Peabody Energy, said that the industry will continue to grow and it is reported that China could produce coal from the US $ 25 / barrel.

The recently replaced Syntroleum fuel company announced that its extremely clean fuel for jet aircraft has been successfully tested on B-52 bombers. That's CTL's 50/50 mix and traditional jet fuel JP-8. This test is part of the US Department of Defense's Sustainable Fuel Initiative to develop a solid domestic fuel source for the military's energy needs. The Pentagon is aiming to limit crude oil imports and by 2016, alternative fuels will address 50% of the air force's energy needs.

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