Coal-Water Slurry Fuels: An Overview,

Coal-water slurry fuel is a fuel that is domestic, in large supply, can be handled like a liquid, burns like coal, costs like coal, and has the potential as a near term alternative to No. 6 fuel oil. Unlike the coal gasification and liquefication processes, the capital investment required is modest. While those synthetic fuel processes cost in the order of 4 billion for a 50,000 barrel per day manufacturing facility, a coal-water plant of that size is estimated at abut 80 million one fiftieth. While the cost of synthetic fuels has been projected at about double that of oil, the costs for coal-water are estimated at 30 to 40 less than oil. Put another way, assuming a 4 energy loss in the coal-water slurry, the resulting fuel cost of the CWM is approximately 3million BTU. This can be compared to oil at 29barrel or approximately 5million BTU. The successful introduction of coal slurry technology into the marketplace as a replacement for oil has very significant potential. The hand-in-hand development of advanced coal cleaning technologies could allow the U.S. to make an economical and rapid transition away from our least abundant resource-oil-to our most abundant resource-coal. Coal-based slurries hold the promise of truly being the fuel of the 80s and beyond.