Domestic Synthetic Fuels (DS Fuels), Point Pleasant, W.Va., plans to start construction in October of a $1.2 billion complex in Mason County, W.Va., that will convert the state’s abundant coal and natural gas into a facility that can produce 451,500 gallons of fuel annually. In addition to low-sulfur diesel fuel, jet fuel, and gasoline, the company said the process will also produce byproduct refrigerant-grade ammonia, sulfur, and solid residue.
Mason County was selected for the plant because the area has easy barge access and is close to plentiful supplies of coal and natural gas. The company will bring coal from nearby Kanawha County. Overall, the company expects some 130 jobs will be created, with many more during the construction phase. The company expects the project to be complete in late 2022/early 2023.
“Unlike prior coal-to-fuel projects proposed in the Mountain State, this is going to happen,” said Kevin Whited, who heads the development project building the facility. “We have the money, we have the technology, and we have the expertise.”
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently approved the draft construction permit for the project.
The company said the direct coal-to-liquids process to be utilized mixes coal with a catalyst and hydrogen derived from natural gas and subjects the mixture to heat and pressure to produce high-quality fuels. It said a similar fuel plant in China has been operating since 2008, and that the resulting fuels burn cleaner than those refined from petroleum and are just as effective in vehicles.