H-Coal and coal-to-methanol liquefaction processes: process engineering evaluation. Final report

This report presents the results of a technical and economic evaluation of the H-Coal process and the coal-to-methanol process for the production of liquid fuels from coal. Evaluations are based on capital cost estimates, in mid-1982 dollars, for commercial size, self-contained plants with a nominal liquid product capacity of 50,000 fuel oil equivalent (FOE) bbl/sd (FOE bbl = 5.85 x 10/sup 6/ Btu). Product selling prices, in dollars per million Btu, are calculated for both nonregulated and regulated (utility) producers. The H-Coal process, developed by Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., is used in this study to produce hydrocarbon liquid from either Illinois No. 6 bituminous or Wyodak subbituminous coal. The primary fuel products include gasoline, turbine fuel, and distillate fuel oil. A substantial amount of LPG is produced only in the Illinois coal case. Hydrogen is produced by gasifying vacuum bottoms using Texaco technology in both cases. However, in the Wyodak case, supplemental hydrogen is required and this is produced by reforming product gas. Electric power is produced from combined-cycle gas turbines fired by process derived fuel gas. Fuel grade methanol is produced from Illinois No. 6 coal using Texaco coal gasification to provide synthesis gas to Lurgi methanol synthesis. Steam derivedmore » from the process is used to generate the electric power requirements. Product selling prices of liquid fuel products in mid-1982 dollars were found to range from 9.06 to 10.94 $/10/sup 6/ Btu for a nonregulated producer and 5.66 to 6.88 $/10/sup 6/ Btu for a regulated (utility) producer. The sensitivity of the product price to various factors, as well as approaches to accomplish early commercialization, are examined and discussed.« less