Feb 24 2009
Three sites are being reviewed for a proposed coal gasification facility in Wyoming, a joint venture of the University of Wyoming and GE Energy. The cost of the project is between $100 million and $120 million and will be split by the developers.
The proposed center, called the High Plains Gasification - Advanced Technology Center would consist of a small-scale gasification system that would allow UW and GE Energy researchers to develop and validate advanced coal gasification technology solutions for Powder River Basin and other Wyoming coals. The plant is expected to allow engineers to gain experience in working on coal gasification processes, and will provide students an opportunity to learn about coal gasification.
The facility’s governance board identified the three finalists from among 15 proposals submitted earlier this month. The three sites are: Campbell County -- Campbell County/City of Gillette; Goshen County, Goshen County Economic Development; and Laramie County -- Cheyenne LEADS.
This week, governors of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming asked President Barack Obama to fund the development of clean-coal technologies in the West. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, both Democrats, and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican, said in a letter Sunday to Obama that finding a cleaner way to use coal is vital for reducing emissions, promoting national security and create jobs.
They say clean-coal technologies also could be used in rapidly industrializing nations such as China and India.
In the coming weeks, the Governance Board will continue its evaluation of the three proposals, which will include site visits and additional analysis. The Governance Board is expected to develop recommendations regarding location of the center later this spring.
Plans for developing a coal gasification facility were announced last October. The agreement signed in October outlines the framework for the joint development, design, construction and operation of the facility and enables additional work to begin immediately.