Frequently Asked Questions

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Why is coal gasification good for America?

  • Using the United States' abundant coal supply to create pipeline quality natural gas has tremendous benefits. The coal reserves in the United States account for approximately 25% of the world's coal reserves while its natural gas reserves are less than 4%.
  • The United States' production of natural gas is becoming more and more expensive as high quality reserves decline and more time, effort and money is required to explore and develop new gas reserves. This has led to an increasingly volatile and more expensive market for natural gas as the commodity becomes scarce. This volatility puts a strain on industries and individual consumers.
  • Some would suggest that the answer to natural gas short-falls in the United States is to import liquefied natural gas (LNG). In reality, however, this will make the nation more dependent on foreign sources of energy. These sources include many of the same countries that currently supply the United States with oil. According to BP World Energy Outlook, the four countries with the largest reserves of natural gas are Russia, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It is in this country's national security interest to produce a portion of our natural gas needs from coal in order to reduce our reliance upon foreign producing nations.
  • With projects like Secure Energy's, the nation's natural gas consumers will have more choice in their long term gas purchase decisions. Coal derived natural gas can be produced at a definitive cost and purchasers can elect to buy gas for a known price over a long period of time. This aids in future planning and serves as a hedge to the extreme volatility that has occurred over the past few years in natural gas prices.

How much natural gas will be produced at the plant?

  • 20 Bcf/year or enough natural gas to heat 250,000 homes.

How much coal will the plant require?

  • Approximately 1.4 million tons/year.

How many jobs will be created in the region?

  • It is estimated that the plant will require 86 full time employees at the plant. During construction more than 300 workers will be needed. The plant will create a need for approximately 140 new coal mining jobs and 50 trucking jobs.

When will the plant be in "production"?

  • Target production date is the second half of 2013.

What are the commercial by-products of coal gasification?

  • The by-products are argon, sulfur and slag.

How will the natural gas be sold?

  • Natural gas will be transported and sold through the NGPL GULF LEG of the interstate pipeline system.

What are the CO2 emissions from the plant and what are the options for CO2?

  • CO2 is not currently a regulated pollutant, but many are concerned that man-made CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to global climate change.
  • The concentrated stream of CO2 emitted from a coal-to-natural gas process lends itself to the capture and storage of CO2, in other words - CO2 emissions from the plant are "carbon capture ready."
  • At the design capacity, the plant will produce about 2.5 million tons of CO2/year. This is much less CO2 than would be emitted from a coal-fueled power plant using an equal amount of coal.
  • Decatur, Illinois, is located in the center of a geologic structure known as the Illinois Basin. The basin contains numerous formations that are likely to be capable of geologically sequestering CO2, including:
    • The Mt. Simon Sandstone
    • Enhanced Oil Recovery
    • Unmineable Coal Seams
  • We are planning to capture and sequester 90% or more of CO2 generated from our Plant.
  • After the plant is commissioned using coal as the feedstock, the gasifiers could begin to use a blend of biomass feed. Using biomass would not reduce the total amount of CO2 but would reduce the amount of CO2 produced from fossil fuel sources.

How can I learn more?