News

WETC prepares to operator pilot clean coke plant at center

July 31, 2007

By CHARLES MCMANUS
Sun Advocate reporter
On July 26, the Western Energy Training Center announced plans to put a clean coke pilot plant into production at its facilities near Helper.
The plant will use coal fines and locally mined marginal coal to produce high-grade carbon briquettes.
According the center's press release, synergy created by the collaboration of industries and educational organizations allowed the WETC to be awarded a center of excellence grant to support funding for the pilot plant.
The project will help establish a firm basis for commercial production of value-added carbon reductants or clean coke at costs well below current available products.
The plant will also provide hands on training for process technology students as it assists in developing a skilled workforce within the local area.
The project will be a unified production and operation effort between the WETC, Terra Systems and Combustion Resources.
Combustion Resources specializes in carbon based consulting and is responsible for the patent pending process that will be used at the new facility.
"This project is a wonderful example that shows how industry and education can come together to make great impacts. With the combination of raw coal material resources in Eastern Utah, Combustion Resource's patent pending Clean Coke Technology and the design and process control experts at WETC, the cooperation has created a dynamic partnership," commented WETC coordinator Robert Topping.
According to Terra Systems and Combustion Resources personnel, the process to be implemented at the plant is completely impact free to the environment.
Sulfur released within the process is captured, concentrated and sold.
Oxides released during the process are captured and used to manufacture fertilizers and tar is removed at the beginning of the process and reused at the conclusion as a binding agent, explained officials.
Industrial companies involved in the project include Terra Systems, Combustion Resources, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, WestCAMP, Mountain Island Energy and National Centers of Excellence.
Educational organizations involved include the College of Eastern Utah's WETC, Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State College.
Funding for the project from these resources totals over $1,035,000.
The WETC contends that once the pilot program proves to be successful, the plant will then be duplicated on a larger scale to create a full-scale production plant.
The creation of this plant will then be followed by the roll out of three additional full-scale production plants.
Combustion Resources owns the intellectual property for the clean coke technology, which is exclusively licensed to Terra Systems.
However, CEU's energy training center will own the intellectual property for the process and control systems tested at the facility.