Projects
TEXYN is developing the proprietary technologies that will result in energy projects that convert ultra-deep coal into clean, high-value hydrogen.
We are targeting ultra-deep coal for several reasons:
1 This energy resource isn't accounted for in our energy
reserves. To date, there has been no technology available to reach to
depths of a mile or more. This resource will effectively double (or more)
the amount of coal reserves accounted for in the USA.
2 At these depths, the extraction of coal is so far from the
surface environment that any impact on our biosphere is eliminated.
No strip-mining.
No mountain-top removal.
No underground mine personnel safety issues.
No toxic run-off into water supplies.
3 We will not be competing for existing coal or natural gas resources. We are opening up the first entirely new form of energy in decades.
Because of the differences in this energy resource, and the clean extraction methods that we propose, we have called this resources "Carbaltum" (from the Latin for deep coal: carbo altum). Despite the tremendous progress that private industry and Federal researchers have made into cleaning up coal use, to may people, "coal" is still a "four letter word". We expect that we will bring a totally new outlook to carbaltum.
Moreover, we will filter out virtually all gaseous emissions, and will capture carbon dioxide for deep geologic sequestration. We believe that we can capture more than 99.99% of all emissions. This is in excess of the 90% capture technology targeted by the US DOE.
Because hydrogen is made from the separation of water into oxygen and hydrogen, we will require a water supply. Surprisingly, it takes little water to make a lot of hydrogen. We expect that we will be able to use deep "saline" ground-water that is unsuitable for any other purposes. Therefore, we will not be competing for water needed for people, livestock, and irrigation.
Gasification Technology
We have chosen the gasification technology because it represents a significant portion of of America’s future energy capacity. Gasification allows for the clean conversion of low-value coal into high-value fuels and commodities.
Gasification technology is not a household word. Yet the basic concept is over a century old. There are hundreds of gasifiers successfully operating around the world, including many in the US.
Modern gasification technology “cooks” the coal; but it doesn’t burn the coal. Steam is added to the hot coal, so that the hydrogen (H2) in the steam (water is H2O) can be separated from the oxygen in the water. The liberated oxygen reacts with the carbon in the coal to form carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not formed in significant amounts, because there is insufficient oxygen available with respect to the amount of carbon available. The resulting “synthesis gas” is composed of mostly hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This “syngas” becomes the basic building blocks for the more complex hydrocarbons that we can produce.
Environmental Stewardship
Hydrogen is created in large quantities by our gasification technology. TEXYN will be able to provide hydrogen as a pipeline gas into the extensive Texas hydrogen pipeline network. This hydrogen may one day help power ultra-clean fuel cell cars and power plants. In the interim, this hydrogen may help refineries create cleaner transportation fuels like low-sulfur diesel.
Hydrogen produced from coal and other carbonaceous materials may lower the cost clean energy. Most hydrogen is currently created by "reforming" expensive natural gas. This process strips the hydrogen atoms away from the carbon atom of the methane molecule, creating CO2 in the process.
Our creation of hydrogen from coal will also create CO2. However, our gasification process is unique because it easily adapts to the economic capture of carbon dioxide. We will pressurize this CO2 and safely sequester it underground. Accordingly, our project will make “carbon-free” hydrogen. The only other technology that can currently claim carbon-free hydrogen would be electrolysis of water, if the electricity used were made from wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power. However, hydrogen from electrolysis is significantly more expensive than hydrogen from coal. By lowering the cost of hydrogen to consumers, we hope to assist in the rollout of clean hydrogen technologies.
Many gasification endeavors are “Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle” projects, otherwise known as “IGCC”. Our goal does not include building new IGCCs; although we may explore repowering of older power plants with clean hydrogen.
Economics
Gasification technology is very capital-intensive. The single-largest cost in the plant will be the gas clean-up system that virtually eliminates emissions under normal operating conditions. Until recently, most companies could not afford gasification technologies, except for a few government-supported research projects. With the increase in cost of oil and gas in the past five years, the economic conditions are now mature for the advancement of gasification as a more significant portion of our energy supply.TEXYN is creating a new generation of gasification technology, with the expectation that we can significantly reduce the cost of clean energy.