is coal liquefaction a net energy loser?

mmm · Tar Sands Joined: Jul 05, 2004 Posts: 37

If so, why is it currently being pursued in South Africa? And didn't Nazi Germany use it with some success? And isn't China talking about using it?

Aaron · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:54 am Post subject:

Not at all.

It's just much less efficient than conventional oil.
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Kingcoal · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:26 am Post subject:

In Pennsylvania they are building a coal to diesel plant Ultra clean fuels that will use the mountains of waste coal that are left over from the coal age. In this case, it probably makes sense because the coal isn't being used for anything else.

Trab · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 11:17 am Post subject:

The Nazis used Coal Liquification in WWII toward the end of the war simply because they had been cut off from all of their other oil supplies, and that's the only way they could power their tanks and other mechanized war machines.

It was more of a desperation measure than anything else.

BW3 · Tar Sands Joined: Mar 07, 2005 Posts: 43

Google "sasol china".

Two plants, $6 billion, 60,000,000 tons of oil per year.