Coal Ditched for Natural Gas at US Power Plants

September 22nd, 2009 by Susan Kraemer

Apparently many modern electric power plants that are coal powered can also use natural gas. So, when the price of natural gas came down in the US, more power stations switched to the cheaper fuel.

The result has been a sharp drop in coal use. Unused coal is piling up at power plants. About 175 million tons of coal inventory is now backed up. Inventory is up 26% over last year.

This national backlog is now beginning to back up into coal fields too. Wyoming has a 6.5% drop in demand from utilities, especially in the Midwest. For the first time in 15 years, coal production has been slowed in Wyoming. And the future looks grim too.

A utility with power plants across six states; Rocky Mountain Power now plans to replace some coal power generating capacity with natural gas facilities on the assumption that carbon legislation in some form is looking increasingly likely.

Power plants still store the coal, just in case of a sudden rise in natural gas prices. Natural gas itself is difficult to store and there isn’t much storage available. Back when natural gas was more expensive, it was used more to cover peak demand because it can be brought online quicker.

But now, with the combination of its environmental advantage over other fossil fuels, and its recently discovered abundant supplies; natural gas is the preferred fuel.

Use of coal has gone down 14% in the last year. Seven states accounted for half the drop; Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Texas.

Turns out money talks. And pollution is becoming a consideration. Since natural gas has only about 40% of the carbon emissions of coal, this is very fortunate news.

Image: John Lillis

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Tags: 15 years coal production Wyoming, 175 million tons coal inventory, coal down 14%, coal power use goes down, Rocky Mountain Power, unused coal up 26%

About the Author

Susan Kraemer writes at CleanTechnica, CSP-Today, PV-Insider , SmartGridUpdate, and GreenProphet. She has also been published at Ecoseed, NRDC OnEarth, MatterNetwork, Celsius, EnergyNow, and Scientific American. As a former serial entrepreneur in product design, Susan brings an innovator's perspective on inventing a carbon-constrained civilization: If necessity is the mother of invention, solving climate change is the mother of all necessities! As a lover of history and sci-fi, she enjoys chronicling the strange future we are creating in these interesting times. Follow Susan on Twitter @dotcommodity.

russ

The waste heat is used internally to a great degree – A company I worked for as engineering manager was looking at the Lurgi Grate process in great detail just a couple of years back.

The Dakota Gasification plant is really interesting as the gasification section is one of the smallest (physically). The model shows this well – the US gov spent a couple of million dollars on the model back in the early 80’s.

The plant produces natural gas, amines, sulfate fertilizers, argon, krypton, xenon and I forget what all else in tremendous volumes. CO2 is piped to oil fields in Canada to enhance production from old wells.

One big problem is the tremendous investment required for the overall complex – billions.

My visit there was very interesting to say the least! Hate the Bismark airport – big nuisance with some idiot from Northwest Airlines that I will never forget!
russ

The waste heat is used internally to a great degree – A company I worked for as engineering manager was looking at the Lurgi Grate process in great detail just a couple of years back.

The Dakota Gasification plant is really interesting as the gasification section is one of the smallest (physically). The model shows this well – the US gov spent a couple of million dollars on the model back in the early 80’s.

The plant produces natural gas, amines, sulfate fertilizers, argon, krypton, xenon and I forget what all else in tremendous volumes. CO2 is piped to oil fields in Canada to enhance production from old wells.

One big problem is the tremendous investment required for the overall complex – billions.

My visit there was very interesting to say the least! Hate the Bismark airport – big nuisance with some idiot from Northwest Airlines that I will never forget!
russ

The waste heat is used internally to a great degree – A company I worked for as engineering manager was looking at the Lurgi Grate process in great detail just a couple of years back.

The Dakota Gasification plant is really interesting as the gasification section is one of the smallest (physically). The model shows this well – the US gov spent a couple of million dollars on the model back in the early 80’s.

The plant produces natural gas, amines, sulfate fertilizers, argon, krypton, xenon and I forget what all else in tremendous volumes. CO2 is piped to oil fields in Canada to enhance production from old wells.

One big problem is the tremendous investment required for the overall complex – billions.

My visit there was very interesting to say the least! Hate the Bismark airport – big nuisance with some idiot from Northwest Airlines that I will never forget!
Johnny Endeavor

just a point about the last comment Geothermal is renewableand not intermittent! Baseload, clean energy.

And the geo companies are doing great at the present.
Johnny Endeavor

just a point about the last comment Geothermal is renewableand not intermittent! Baseload, clean energy.

And the geo companies are doing great at the present.
http://www.elrst.com Edouard Stenger

Many thanks Susan for this interesting post !

I wonder if the US could use more renewables as natural gas prices go back up.

Since renewables are intermittent, providing the remaining electricity with a cleaner and lower carbon energy source like natural gas instead of coal sounds like a good idea.

Keep up the good work. Greeting from France !
http://www.elrst.com Edouard Stenger

Many thanks Susan for this interesting post !

I wonder if the US could use more renewables as natural gas prices go back up.

Since renewables are intermittent, providing the remaining electricity with a cleaner and lower carbon energy source like natural gas instead of coal sounds like a good idea.

Keep up the good work. Greeting from France !
http://www.elrst.com Edouard Stenger

Many thanks Susan for this interesting post !

I wonder if the US could use more renewables as natural gas prices go back up.

Since renewables are intermittent, providing the remaining electricity with a cleaner and lower carbon energy source like natural gas instead of coal sounds like a good idea.

Keep up the good work. Greeting from France !
Susan Kraemer

MD; That’s a lot of heat created in that process – 2,200 degrees F. A coal gasification plant like that could sell that heat to some other business or district that could use it, to benefit under Cap and Trade.
Susan Kraemer

MD; That’s a lot of heat created in that process – 2,200 degrees F. A coal gasification plant like that could sell that heat to some other business or district that could use it, to benefit under Cap and Trade.
MD

Susan, you’re right…

In the name of progress we have forsaken things like the heat energy perceived as the “waste” heat.

We need to think smarter not harder – combined cycle is the name of the game!

That waste heat is perfect for creating super heated steam, in the case of a gasification plants, the leftovers can be reused via heat exchangers.
MD

Susan, you’re right…

In the name of progress we have forsaken things like the heat energy perceived as the “waste” heat.

We need to think smarter not harder – combined cycle is the name of the game!

That waste heat is perfect for creating super heated steam, in the case of a gasification plants, the leftovers can be reused via heat exchangers.
MD

Susan, the demand for raw coal may drop, and the price of natural gas may be low right now, in fact the cost of my local utilities natural gas has dropped 20%, but as soon as the price of the gas increases (again because it will) there will be a new demand for raw coal – how so?, gasification.

Each day the Dakota Gasification Company’s Synfuels Plant converts approximately 18,000 tons of lignite coal into an average 145 million cubic feet of synthetic natural gas for home heating and electricity generation…

http://www.dakotagas.com/Gasification/Gasification_Process/index.html

Eastman Kodak gasifies ~ 1300 tons of coal per day for raw materials and energy.

Eastman marks 25 years in coal gasification.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9006792

There will always be some need for coal in one form or another.
MD

Susan, the demand for raw coal may drop, and the price of natural gas may be low right now, in fact the cost of my local utilities natural gas has dropped 20%, but as soon as the price of the gas increases (again because it will) there will be a new demand for raw coal – how so?, gasification.

Each day the Dakota Gasification Company’s Synfuels Plant converts approximately 18,000 tons of lignite coal into an average 145 million cubic feet of synthetic natural gas for home heating and electricity generation…

http://www.dakotagas.com/Gasification/Gasification_Process/index.html

Eastman Kodak gasifies ~ 1300 tons of coal per day for raw materials and energy.

Eastman marks 25 years in coal gasification.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9006792

There will always be some need for coal in one form or another.
Susan Kraemer

MD; That’s a lot of heat created in that process – 2,200 degrees F. A coal gasification plant like that could sell that heat to some other business or district that could use it, to benefit under Cap and Trade.