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Title: Development and status of the IGT PEATGAS Process for production of synthetic fuels from peat

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5127652

US peat resources are the third largest in the world and are estimated to be about 1440 quads, equivalent to 240 billion barrels of crude oil. In the contiguous 48 states, peat deposits are generally located in areas with no other significant fossil fuel resources. Therefore, for those areas, peat represents an important source of energy. Peat conversion research at the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) started in 1974 under sponsorship of the Minnesota Gas Company (Minnegasco). Since 1976, IGT has been working on a peat gasification program jointly funded by the US Department of Energy and Minnegasco. Systematic tests have been conducted in laboratory- and process development unit (PDU)-scale equipment to evaluate the conversion of peat to synthetic fuels. Tests have been conducted with peats from Minnesota, North Carolina, and Maine. The results show that, on the basis of chemistry, peat is a better raw material than coal from which to make substitute natural gas (SNG) as well as gasoline blending feedstock because a greater fraction of the feed carbon is converted to these products under milder operating conditions. Also compared with coal, peat conversion permits more flexibility in the relative yields of gas and liquid hydrocarbons. Peats from different regions could have different conversion and yield characteristics as demonstrated by tests on peats from Minnesota, North Carolina, and Maine. The estimates show that the economics of converting Minnesota peat (containing 50% moisture) to SNG by the IGT PEATGAS Process is competitive with those of converting Eastern US coal to SNG.

OSTI ID:
5127652
Report Number(s):
CONF-791177-1; ON: DE82906009
Resource Relation:
Conference: New technologies in the use of peat conference, Bad Zwischenahn, F.R. Germany, 5 Nov 1979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English