Oct. 14, 2005
 
Manchin Seeks Coal Liquefaction Facility, Infrastructure in West Virginia; Part of a ‘Comprehensive Plan to Implement Coal Conversion Technology’
 
By HNN Staff
 
Charleston, WV (HNN) – Gov. Joe Manchin Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005 laid out a comprehensive plan to implement coal conversion technology on a state level, with the main immediate focus on facilities that will convert coal into liquid fuels and other products.
 
“The West Virginia Coal Conversion Initiative is a comprehensive harnessing West Virginia's coal resources to address once and for all the vulnerability of America's refining capacity and the nation's dependency upon foreign sources of oil,” Manchin said.
 
Unlike coal conversion projects that been proposed elsewhere – including two coal gasification plants that are operating near Tampa, FL and Terre Haute, IN -- the West Virginia Coal Conversion Initiative will focus on the development of state-of-the-art, multi-product facilities that would adapt to the changing needs of the marketplace and produce whatever product is most needed at a specific time – be it natural gas, diesel fuel, jet fuel, hydrogen, or chemicals, Manchin said.
 
"West Virginia is one of several states that are rich in natural resources, and it is time that we stepped up to the plate and took responsibility for doing our part to address the nation's growing energy crisis," the governor said.
 
Paving the way for establishment of this initiative, Manchin is taking several steps to formulate this comprehensive approach to coal conversion development, including:
 
* Using the re-established West Virginia Public Energy Authority, in a collaborative effort with researchers, scientists and energy leaders, to create the overall plan for the implementation of this type of coal conversion facility.
 
* Directing the West Virginia Development Office to assist with identification of potential site locations, infrastructure requirements and private sector partners and to assist with siting, permitting and construction of such projects;
 
* Directing the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to work with the Public Energy Authority and potential investors to facilitate a plan for permitting and construction of such projects; and,
 
* Requesting the West Virginia Public Service Commission to facilitate certification of any necessary utility infrastructure and to work with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and transmission operators to facilitate interconnection to the energy grid.
 
In addition, West Virginia's colleges, universities and technical schools will play an integral role in fulfilling a significant educational component of this plan, training workers for mining, transportation, construction and operations jobs that will be created with coal conversion projects across the state.
 
"As West Virginia's Governor and as the chairman-elect of the Southern States Energy Board and chairman of the National Governor's Association's Natural Resources committee, I feel it is important for West Virginia to be at the forefront of what I believe will soon be a coordinated national energy effort," the governor said.
 
Manchin has directed many of the state's key decision makers to take leadership roles in this effort, including: Department of Commerce Secretary Tom Bulla; Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie Timmermyer; the West Virginia Public Service Commission; the West Virginia Public Energy Authority; West Virginia University Institute of Technology President Charles Bayless and other college and university presidents across the state; Pat Esposito, the Governor's liaison to the Southern States Energy Board; and, the leadership of the West Virginia Coal Association, United Mine Workers of America and our entire skilled labor force.
 
"We are committing today to a complete coal conversion plant package, comprised of property, a permitting plan, identified and ready fuel supplies, and a knowledgeable and trained work force," the governor added. "These efforts, along with those of other states, will ensure West Virginia's energy independence well into the future. With any estimated 50 billion tons of coal reserves in West Virginia that could make up to 3 barrels of liquid fuel per ton, it just makes common sense for our state to take the lead in advancing our efforts to the next level."
 
Editor’s Note: More information on coal conversion technology, including details on the Florida and Indiana gasification plants, can be found at the Department of Energy web site:
 
http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/powersystems/gasification