Will Help Build Conversion Facilities
The United States Air Force --
determined to wean itself off dependence on foreign oil -- hopes to
build what would be the first of many plants designed to convert
coal to a cleaner-burning synthetic fuel.
The Associated Press reports USAF officials want to build the
pilot facility in Malmstrom AFB in central Montana... and are
putting the authority of the Air Force behind them, as they seek to
attract outside investors in the project who might overwise be
skitterish about putting money into such a venture otherwise.
While coal-sourced fuel blends, derived through the
Fischer-Tropsch process, are somewhat cleaner than straight
petroleum-based Jet-A, the Air Force readily admits that's not its
main motivation in pursuing such efforts. The USAF wants a stable
fuel source... preferably, one far away from the Middle East.
"We're going to be burning fossil fuels for a long time, and
there's three times as much coal in the ground as there are oil
reserves," said Air Force Assistant Secretary William Anderson
recently. "Guess what? We're going to burn coal."
There are roadblocks, however... not the least of which is the
sky-high pricetag on coal-to-liquids conversion facilities, which
can run as high as $5 billion a pop. Critics also point out the
process to convert coal to liquid fuel is environmentally "dirty"
in and of itself... negating the 'green' benefits of the end-result
biofuel blend.
"We don't want new sources of energy that are going to make the
greenhouse gas problem even worse," House Oversight Committee
Chairman Henry Waxman said in a recent interview. "They'd like to
have (coal-to-liquids) because of security concerns -- a reliable
source of power. They're not thinking beyond that one issue.
(Climate change) is also a national security concern."
Nevertheless, the Air Force is now taking bids from outside
developers. That process is due to wrap up in May, with
construction expected to take four years after a developer is
selected.
There are currently only two coal-to-liquid facilities in the
world, both in South America. A third is expected to come online by
the end of 2008 in China. None of those areas are known for their
clean air... unlike Montana.
In the end, however, political and economic factors may win out
over such concerns. Anderson wants the Air Force to fuel half its
North American fleet with a synthetic-fuel blend by 2016. That
works out to 400 million gallons of coal-based fuel annually...
insuring the builders of conversion plants would have a steady
customer.
Furthermore, Anderson says he expects other industries to follow
the Air Force's lead -- including long-haul trucking customers, and
commercial airlines.
"Because of our size, we can move the market along," he told the
AP. "Whether it's (coal-based) diesel that goes into Wal-Mart
trucks or jet fuel that goes into our fighters, all that will
reduce our dependence on foreign oil, which is the endgame."