The process of turning solid coal into gas sounds incredible. The procedure offers many benefits, including the ability to access carbon buried deep in the earth, 85 percent of which is inaccessible with current methods. However, the idea of turning gas into a liquid seems even less plausible. Few people would believe that the solid coal one might find underground could be changed into a liquid, much less used to power our cars. Believe it or not, the gas-to-liquid method works and has many benefits.
The gas-to-liquid process creates clean fuel after it goes through underground coal gasification, or UCG, while below the earth’s surface. The gas-to-liquid process is central to the underground coal gasification process as it converts the coal from solid to synthesis gas, also called synthesis gas. This is done through a catalytic reaction, resulting in syngas that is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The end result of the gas-to-liquid process is diesel, chemical feedstocks, and naphtha.
The mechanics of the process are interesting, but most people are probably just interested in why we should give this technology a try. Considering the attention paid by several countries to the gas-to-liquid process, it is assumed that there must be many advantages over our current method of obtaining fuel. The answer is that we clearly can’t put solid coal in our cars, so we have to convert it to gasoline first. However, natural gas is more expensive to move than oil, so that would not solve our problem. However, the liquid that results after the gas-to-liquid process is complete is easier to move than oil.
Additionally, diesel standards are becoming more stringent when it comes to protecting the environment from harmful emissions. Today’s diesel cannot compete with that which could be made from coal after the gas-to-liquid process takes place. Clean fuel made from coal does not contain toxins such as sulfur and is odour-free. It could be mixed with current diesel fuel to meet emissions standards, or it could be used on its own. Such benefits are just the beginning of the advantages that the gas-to-liquid process brings us.
Another reason to encourage the use of gas to liquids is that the world supply of oil is running out. No matter what alternative to conventional oil we think of, it must be implemented as soon as possible. Gas-to-liquids has been around for years and is about to take the place of oil quickly due to the funds that many companies have invested in the technology. We have a lot of coal that is not being used, as most of it is untouchable through traditional extraction methods. Using the natural resources we have in abundance sounds like a good idea, especially when it’s cheap and benefits the ecosystem.
The price of current oil production is clearly not conducive to offering cheap gas to consumers. Reducing the price to produce fuel will lower the price consumers see at the pump, so cheaper gas benefits everyone. For this reason, even oil companies like ExxonMobil, BP, Conoco Phillips, Texaco, Shell, and more have researched the gas-to-liquid process for so long that they plan to build plants where it can take place. These companies need to make a profit on their product, and they have seen that ability with clean fuels produced by gas-to-liquid technology.
The gas-to-liquid process can not only increase the content of everyone’s wallet, but also improve our awareness when it comes to improving the environment. Unlike some ideas to create cheaper fuel through an alternative method, gas-to-liquids is natural and will not harm the ecosystem. Everyone can breathe easier knowing that this method of fueling our cars is not holding us back when it comes to eliminating harmful emissions. Instead, it will increase the quality and cleanliness of diesel, meeting recently set high standards for clean fuel.