Coal - Synthetic Liquid Fuels from Coal - Discussion

A. R. POWELL*—Mr. Doherty has outlined in a most thorough manner valid arguments for the development of an industry in this country making syn. thetic liquid fuels from coal. No thoughtful person will dispute the statement that it is essential to carry on fundamental and applied research and acquire engineering "know-how" by the erection and operation of two or three large plants in the near future. Considerations of national security indicate that this should be done, irrespective of any temporary present surplus of natural petroleum. It is the belief of the discusser and of many others interested in coal technology that our energy picture of the future will include an increasing utilization of coal directly, without any conversion to liquid fuel, as a source of energy. A fact that is sometimes forgotten is that petroleum fuels have often been cheaper than coal in many locations and over long periods of time, and this price factor has been of great importance in expanding the use of petroleum fuels at the expense of coal. Synthetic liquid fuel made from coal must necessarily be several times as costly as the coal from which it is made, and this fact alone will have a profound effect on the future energy pattern of our country. This complete change in the economic relationship between solid and liquid fuels will lead to the substitution of coal itself for many uses now supplied by the relatively cheap petroleum fuels. From the standpoint of conservation of our natural resources, the substitution of coal itself for liquid fuels wherever possible when the age of synthetic liquid fuel arrives is also logical. At least 50 pct of the energy of coal is lost during conversion to liquid fuel. Nor is this com-pensated for by a higher utilization effi-ciency of the liquid fuel in most cases. For example, modern steam-boiler plants can operate at equal fuel efficiencies with either coal or fuel oil.