Demonstrating Fuel Flexibility in Commercial Operation

Fawad Khan, Francis Lau

Synthesis Energy Systems Inc., Houston, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ijcce.2012.12003                

Abstract

Synthesis Energy Systems Inc. (SES) enables its customers to advance gasification projects through commercial scale feedstock testing at its commercial scale coal to syngas facility in Zhao Zhuang City (ZZ Plant), Shandong Province, China. These tests help customers affirm individual project economic viability and reduce technology risk. Included in these test campaigns have been one and two-week long continuous operations at varying loads and on widely-varying feedstock such as Chinese Inner Mongolian lignite, Chinese sub-bituminous high ash (and high friable) coal, and Aus- tralian Queensland high ash sub-bituminous coal. Through these campaigns, SES has progressed one project into the detailed engineering and construction phase and one project into the feasibility study phase. SES believes that the abi- lity to perform these commercial scale campaigns without interruption of operation is unique to SES. The ZZ Plant, which sells clean syngas to a neighboring methanol facility, has been in operation since early 2008 on a design coal of high ash middlings (washery wastes) from ROM bituminous coal (30% - 40% wt ash). SES has made significant im-provements to the design, operation, and efficiency of the ZZ Plant and U-GAS technology that is licensed from Gas Technology Institute (GTI). Included in these is the Fines Management System (FMS), which has demonstrated overall carbon conversion of greater than 98%. The ZZ Plant consistently demonstrates fuel flexibility and greater than 98% availability, 98% carbon conversion, and 80% cold gas efficiency.

Keywords

Gasification; U-GAS; Fluid Bed Gasification; Low Rank Coal; Lignite, Biomass

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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