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ENERGY: RESEARCH NOVA-2/3/5A


Renewable Energy


Research Projects: NOVA-2/3/5A

Research Focus

Coal-to-Liquid

Combined Heat and Power

Rare Earth Elements

SMART Distributed Power Grids

AMCO Engineering (PAK);  Pacific Enterprises International Syndicate (PEIS) USA;  MUGHALS-RESOCHEM MRC (USA) LLC, Falcon Investment Group (FIG)  and  Indus Basin Resources PLC (IBR) are collaborating to develop a Viable Economic Model of Two Energy Related Catalyst Projects i.e. CHP-01US (Power Generation) and UCG-01PK (Underground Coal Gasification – Coal-to-Liquid), in accordance with the applicable laws of the land.

CHP-01US is an alignment of almost similar four, small, up to 9 MW each, Combined Heat and Power Projects; two of which in USA, one in Pakistan and one in Kenya.


Medical Center Houston Texas USA CHP Plant

Source: US DoE

https://chptap.lbl.gov/profile/227/Texas_Medical_Center-Project_Profile.pdf

Below Image Midsize CHP Plant, Source: Industry


 Below Image Customized Commercial CHP Plant, Source: Industry


What is Combined Heat and Power?

CHP is the simultaneous generation of two or more forms of energy from a single fuel source. By recycling valuable heat from the combustion process, CHP results in far greater efficiencies than centralized power generation. The recovered thermal energy may be used for industrial processes, space heating, and refrigeration or space cooling through an absorption chiller. 

Read More...

According to Dept. of Energy (DoE) USA, CHP is considered the most viable and economical use of Distributed Generation (DG) when implemented at or near the point of use. 

CHP Applications

As per EPA, CHP is being used in over 4,400 industrial facilities in USA, end-users include:

  • Commercial:- office buildings, hotels, health clubs, nursing homes
  • Residential:- condominiums, co-ops, apartments, planned communities
  • Institutions:- colleges and universities, hospitals, prisons, military bases
  • Municipal:- district energy systems, wastewater treatment facilities, K-12 schools
  • Industrial:- chemical, refining, ethanol, pulp and paper, food processing, glass manufacturing

CHP Major Benefits  

CHP offers many benefits to energy consumers choosing to adopt this technology including:

  • Choice of Fuel i.e. Bioethanol / Biogas / Biomass / Coal / Heating Oil / Municipal Waste / Natural Gas / Vegetable Oil
  • Low CAPEX, LOW OPEX
  • On-site Generation alleviates geographical transmission and distribution load constraints
  • Diversifies Electric Supplies to the end-user and Enhances Energy Security
  • Uses available heat (Thermal Energy) to improve fuel-use efficiency
  • Modern equipment is Environmentally Friendly

Case Study

Medical Center Houston Texas USA CHP Plant 

https://sites.google.com/a/themughals.net/www/strategic-projects/mrc-projects/Energy-CHP-TX-Plant-Medical-Center.jpg

Case Study Quick Facts

Source: DoE - EPA

LOCATION: Texas Medical Center Houston, Texas USA

MARKET SECTOR: Healthcare / FACILITY SIZE: 19.3 million square feet

PEAK LOAD: 60 megawatts (MW)

CORE EQUIPMENT: 48 MW turbine (GE LM 6000) with HRSG and steam-driven chillers

FUEL: Natural Gas

USE OF THERMAL ENERGY: Steam-driven chillers, space heating, hot water, dehumidification, and sterilization

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: Reduces CO2 emissions by 305,000 tons/yr

FINANCIAL BENEFITS: Yearly Energy Savings: $6-12 million 48 MW CHP in Operation since 2010

Pakistan Clean Coal Program


Project NOVA-3


Government of Pakistan Estimate, Approximately 175 Billion Tons of Coal

Since 2014, Dr. Aziz Siddiqi PhD (Imperial College London) President MRC LLC has focused on Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Technology and his active areas of research are “Coal-to-Liquid” (CTL) and Industrial Plants Operational Efficiency

Whereas, Mr. Mohammad A. Mirza, Director Special Projects MUGHALS-RESOCHEM MRC LLC (USA) and Prof. Muhammed Sharif Bhatti PhD, President SELECTUM PLC (PAK), are structuring the Underground Coal Gasification / Coal-To-Liquids (UCG-CTL) Project in Pakistan, in accordance with the applicable Laws and Regulatory Framework of respective countries. Mr. Mohammad A. Mirza is Principal Group Director (PGD).  




 Above Images Source: NETL | EPA | DoE

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG)

As per National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory SystemUnderground Coal Gasification (UCG) takes advantage of the same chemical reactions of coal to produce product gases, as those occurring in conventional gasifier reactors. The main difference is that in UCG the underground coal seam itself becomes the reactor, so that the gasification of the coal takes place underground instead of in a manufactured gasification vessel at the surface.

How UCG Works?

Gasification is a technological process that can convert any carbonaceous (carbon-based) raw material such as coal into fuel gas, also known as synthesis gas (syngas). Gasification occurs in a gasifier, generally a high temperature/pressure vessel where oxygen (or air) and steam are directly contacted with the coal or other feed material causing a series of chemical reactions to occur that convert the feed to syngas and ash/slag (mineral residues). Syngas is so called because of its history as an intermediate in the production of synthetic natural gas. Composed primarily of the colorless, odorless, highly flammable gases carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2), syngas has a variety of uses.

UCG Process

In UCG Process, injection wells are drilled into an unmined coal seam, and either air or oxygen is injected into the seam along with water. The coal face is ignited, and the high temperatures (about 1,200°C) from the combustion and limited oxygen causes nearby coal to partially oxidize into hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and minimal amounts of methane (CH4) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). These products flow to the surface through one or more production wells located ahead of the combustion zone. As the face is burned and an area depleted, the operation is moved to follow the seam. The graphic below illustrates the general process.

UCG History

UCG has been identified as a potential process for utilizing Unmineable Coal since the late nineteenth century. The process was first developed, during 1925, by Franz Fischer and   Hans Tropsch at Kaiser-Wilhelm Institute for Kohlenforschung in Mulheim Germany. Former Soviet Union invested heavily in UCG research. By 1939 the Soviets had successfully begun operating a UCG plant in the Ukraine. Later (and to this day) the Skochinsky Institute of Mining Moscow became a center for UCG expertise. The UCG technology developed by the Institute was implemented in three brown coal and two black coal power stations in the 1960s. One of these facilities, the power station at Angren, Uzbekistan, still operates, producing about a million standard cubic feet of syngas per hour.

During late 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. government instituted several research projects and trials of UCG. China also has a significant history of coal gasification and current installed capacity, and continues to add more gasification capacity at substantial rates, using a wide range of gasifier choices including both Chinese technology and foreign gasifier types.

Syngas

The Syngas can be further converted (or shifted) to nothing but hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) by adding steam and reacting over a catalyst in a water-gas-shift reactor. When hydrogen is burned, it creates nothing but heat and water, resulting in the ability to create electricity with no carbon dioxide in exhaust gases. Furthermore, hydrogen made from coal or other solid fuels can be used to refine oil, or to make products such as ammonia and fertilizer. More importantly, Hydrogen enriched Syngas can be used to make gasoline and diesel fuel. 

Current Status

With increasing global demand of natural gas, interest in UCG has revived around the world. Australia, Pakistan, South Africa are actively working on pilot projects.

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