Clean Coal Technology Achieves First Synthesis Gas Production
KBR Technology and Southern Company recently celebrated a major milestone when KBR's proprietary clean coal gasification technology, Transport Integrated Gasification (TRIGTM), successfully converted lignite coal to synthesis gas, or syngas, for the first time on a commercial scale at Southern Company subsidiary Mississippi Power's Kemper County energy facility. This is a significant achievement in the construction of the world's most advanced coal plant.
TRIGTM is a revolutionary and innovative technology that is designed to offer a reliable method for processing low-rank coal in a resourceful way to produce clean, high-quality synthesis gas for a wide variety of energy and chemical applications. TRIGTM makes efficient use of low-rank coal which would otherwise remain under-utilized as an energy source due to its high moisture and ash contents. In the TRIGTM process, the moisture in the low-rank coal actually serves as a useful reactant and the ash is recovered in solid form, which is designed to contribute to higher energy efficiency and improved environmental performance.
"The successful conversion of low-rank coal into synthesis gas through TRIG™ clean coal gasification on such a large scale at the Kemper County energy facility demonstrates the revolutionary capabilities of this technology," said John Derbyshire, President, KBR Technology & Consulting.
"TRIG™ brings a unique solution to the global challenge of how to efficiently create clean energy through the use of an abundant resource while helping preserve the environment," Derbyshire continued. "Low-rank coal comprises about half of the world's coal supply, and today TRIG™ is a global leader in efficiently and cleanly converting this plentiful and previously under-utilized resource into energy with minimal impact on the environment."
"Producing syngas from Mississippi's own abundant natural resource – lignite – should be encouraging to our customers, communities and energy companies around the world," said Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson. "Kemper's technology aims to provide a way forward for coal as we move closer to full plant operation."
KBR is committed to expanding the use of clean coal technology and we are proud that TRIG™ has achieved this key step as the first commercial scale TRIG™ plant gets closer to completion.
