Page 226 - New Trends In Coal Conversion

188 New Trends in Coal Conversion

company’s Gwangyang complex, an SNG plant with a capacity of 500 kt/y is being
constructed which will gasify low-quality coals using CB&I E-Gas TM gasification
technology (three gasifiers). Commercial operations were scheduled to begin during
2016. POSCO has also agreed with Mongolia’s MCS Group to establish a 50:50 joint
venture to build an SNG plant in Mongolia. Commercial operation is expected by the
end of 2018 (Mills, 2016; Sikarwar et al., 2017).

7.2.1.5.2 Taean IGCC Project
The 380 MW Taean IGCC Project built for Korea Western Power is based around
Shell gasification technology and fired on bituminous and subbituminous coals. Com-
mercial operations began in August 2016.
In December 2015, it was announced that Alps Energy was to use Southern
Company’s TRIG TM technology for a 1 GW power project being developed at the Sae-
mangeum Industry and Research Area in South Korea. The system will be fueled on
low-quality coals (Mills, 2016).

7.2.1.5.3 Other coal gasification projects in South Korea
Moreover, according to the latest news, there is also a project to build a new IGCC
plant in Namhae, which is expected to be operating in 2023 (Kim, 2015) and also
another coal gasification project of POSCO E&C to produce SNG at Samcheok
(Kim, 2014).

7.2.1.6 Mongolia
In Mongolia, there is also a coal gasification project by POSCO E&C to produce diesel
and DME (Kim, 2014).

7.2.2 America
7.2.2.1 The United States of America

Some of the oldest, largest, and most efficient coal gasification plants are to be found in
the United States. Moreover, successful examples of production of alternative fuels
such as SNG from coal gasification or fully integrated CO 2 capture are there. Construc-
tion of new facilities focusing on polygeneration have been launched during the last
decade, although they are facing demanding environmental, technical, and economic
challenges that are delaying operation.

7.2.2.1.1 Wabash River, Indiana
The first full-size commercial IGCC plant set in the United States was the Wabash
River Coal Gasification Repowering Project in 1995, and it was considered the largest
IGCC plant in the world. The original plant was a six-unit pulverized coal-fired one,
but in 1991, the Unit 1A was retrofitted as an IGCC plant as one of the demonstration
projects for the CCT program (NETL, n.d.-g).