Coal: The New Black
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
That title is courtesy of Chemical and Engineering News, which is happy to report that coal is making a comeback as a feedstock for chemicals now that oil is running out.
"If the price of oil stays above $50 or $60, I think that within 10 years, using coal as a chemical feedstock will be a very big industry in China," says Zhang Yuzhuo, a Shenhua Group vice president and chairman of China Shenhua Coal Liquefaction. Of course there is the minor problem of Carbon Dioxide. Said one consultant: "One of the big disadvantages of coal is that you make CO2," he says. "And unless you are located in an area where you can dispose of that at some reasonable cost, it's a potential economic hit on the project. Even if it isn't a hit today, it could be at some point in the future if carbon taxes are enacted."
This is so retro- coal tar, a byproduct of coal gasification, was the first major feedstock for chemicals. Next thing you know we will by typing by the light of whale-oil lamps. ::C&EN via ::New Scientist
"minor problem of Carbon Dioxide"?!?! wow...is that really what they said?
Interesting. But i believe we've been "running out of oil" for like the last thirty years...
In the US, yes. We hit peak oil decades ago and produce far less than we used to. Peak oil for the world in general is set for this year or the next.
i dont know how redirecting coal a oil/gas subsitute as a chemical feedstock is going to be good for china? china is already importing coal to meet its needs for power generation. they do have one of the largest coal reserves but they cant dig it up fast enough. this situation would have to change before coal could be used like this in any major way. this usage of coal in power stations is only going to change in a number of ways, digg it up faster, burn it slower and switch fuels on future stations. if they are growing so fast then effiency alone is going to be tough to offset new demand.
since chemical feedstock is alot less demanding then power, id thought that biofuels would be better for chemical production instead. not to mention it should be a form of carbon capture? as your growing a plant and keeping it in the plastic or product instead of burning it.
that said i dont support redirection of food or farmland away from ppl, especially in china.
Ooo, tho i understand and agree that peak oil is real, please remember that all oil is not used in transport, and theres a ton of oil out there that can only be used as plastics and etc. these oils i believe are typically the heavy stuff that we still have alot of compared to the light sweet that will start (already) to decline.
it is very viable that we will fall servely short of transport fuels but have an excess of chemical feedstock oil. it all cant be crack or formed into petrol.