Coal to methanol feasibility study: Beluga methanol project. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5358333

Cook Inlet Region, Inc. and Placer Amex Inc. intend to develop a coal-to-methanol plant utilizing Winkler gasifiers and the ICI methanol synthesis process in the Beluga district on the west side of Cook Inlet, approximately 60 miles from Anchorage, Alaska. Low-sulfur, high-volatile, sub-bituminous coal reserves will be used to produce fuel grade methanol at a rate of 54,000 barrels per day. CIRI and Placer have completed a year-long analysis of the feasibility of this project. The most significant findings can be abstracted as follows: It is technical feasible to construct a 7500 ton/day plant using commercially proven equipment and process technologies. The only departure from existing commercial applications is the use of higher pressure (4-atmosphere) gasifiers. The final design includes one 10-atmosphere coal gasifier test unit. If, prior to ordering components of the plant, tests performed with gasifiers at 10-atmosphere pressure verify anticipated results, a total of four gasifiers for 10-atmosphere operation will be installed rather than eight (8) gasification trains. The use of gasifiers at 10 atmospheres could reduce unit costs of the product by about $10/ton of methanol. The baseline environmental study indicates that air, water, and ecological impacts can be kept within state and federal regulatory limits. All basic resource inputs, including land, water, and coal, are available. There appears to be more than sufficient markets for the planned methanol production. The accompanying financial analysis shows a strong likelihood that the project will achieve positive cash flows. However, project returns resulting from the methanol prices used may not offer sufficient incentive to private investors due to the risks involved in a project of this magnitude.

• Research Organization: Cook Inlet Region, Inc./Placer Amex, Inc., San Francisco, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-80RA50299
• OSTI ID: 5358333
• Report Number(s): DOE/RA/50299-1119-Exec.Summ.; ON: DE82005871
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ALASKA
ALCOHOLS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
COAL MINES
COAL RESERVES
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ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MARKETING RESEARCH
MATERIALS
METHANOL
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINES
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ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN PLANTS
PRODUCTION
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SITE SELECTION
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
SYNTHESIS GAS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
WINKLER PROCESS