The technical and economic feasiblity of siting synfuels plants in Wyoming

A comprehensive study has been completed to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating gasification and synfuels plants which convert Wyoming fossil resources (coal and natural gas) into higher value products, including electric power, synthetic transportation fuels, and chemical feedstocks, such as ammonia and methanol. Conceptual plant designs, simulation models, economic models, and well-to-wheel greenhouse gas models were developed in order to address the following topics: 1. Quantification of plant capital and operating expenditures 2. Plant heat integration 3. Quantification of coal, natural gas, electricity, and water requirements 4. Access to raw materials and markets¹ 5. Requirements for new infrastructure, such as electrical power lines and product pipelines¹ 6. A cost-benefit analysis of using natural gas reforming versus coal gasification for synfuels production 7. Labor resource requirements for plant construction¹ and for permanent operations 8. Options for managing CO₂ emissions, including capture and use in enhanced oil recovery and/or sequestration 9. Options for reducing water requirements, such as recovery of the high moisture content in Wyoming coal and use of air coolers rather than cooling towers 10. Permitting requirements¹ 11. Construction and economic impacts on the local communities¹ This paper will summarize the analysis completed for two major synfuels production pathways, methanol to gasoline and Fischer-Trosph diesel production, using either coal or natural gas as a feedstock.