Using 1920's German technology to solve rising gas prices.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer's has a plan to use 1920's German technology to reduce the rapidly increasing oil prices. The plan is to convert coal into gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. The technology, commonly reffered to as "The Fischer-Tropsch technology", was discovered by the Germans in 1923 and was later used by the Nazi's to produce fuel for their infrastructure and war effort. It was economically viable only if oil prices were over 30 dollars a barrell. With the price of oil per barrell hitting almost double that, it could be a cheaper alternative for the United States.



Who would have thought that technology from the 20's could ultimetly solve the huge rise in gas prices. If this technology can really lower the cost per barrell to $32, then I am all for and funding should be given right away. I wonder if Bush will consider this alternative.

I am a bit critical about it being environmental friendly though. The article states that the whole operation would create no environmental damage. I am curiuos to know how that is possible.

[edit on 10-9-2005 by DJDOHBOY]

Well this is indeed good news Ive heard about the same things being done with oil shale. Anything to kill these monstrous gas prices is welcome in my book.

A temporary fix with no real benefit other than financial savings for people isint much of a fix in my book. Too much procrastination in the alternative-fuels department is eventually going to come back to bite us in the butt when we are faced with drying oil fields and colossal failure of oil-dependant systems.

The Tar Sands in northwest Canada are allready producing oil and its been said that there is more oil there than in Saudi Arabia.

I think the oil shale process is slightly different then the one they are considering. when using Oil sands they extract the oil. That would not be the case here they would have to gassify the coal first and then turn it into a liquid.

Its still a success story no matter how its done and we do have a lot of natural energy here in North america

There are other Coal to Liquids plants already in operation in Europe, the US and elsewhere with others planned for the future. There are also natural gas to liquids technologies.

headwaters.com

SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH, August 9, 2005 (NYSE: HW) – HEADWATERS
INCORPORATED announced today that it has completed two non-binding Memoranda of Understanding (“MOUs”) linked to potential coal-to-liquid fuels projects in Arizona and North Dakota.
Parties to the Arizona project include Headwaters and the Hopi Tribe. Parties to the North Dakota project include Headwaters, Great River Energy, North American Coal Corporation and Falkirk Mining Company.

Each MOU anticipates Headwaters will act as the principal developer of an indirect coal liquefaction plant that will produce approximately 10,000 barrels per day of ultra clean diesel and other liquid fuels, as well as electricity from an IGCC power station. Plant expansions could increase output up to 50,000 barrels per day of liquid fuel production. The other parties to the MOUs will participate as equity partners in the project development and will contribute coal resources sufficient to serve the lives of the respective plants.

Volkswagen

VIENNA / WOLFSBURG - The automobile/technician award with the highest amount of award money in the world was awarded today at the TU Vienna to Dr Wolfgang Steiger (Volkswagen) and Dr Wolfgang Warnecke (Shell) for the development of a fuel from natural gas (GTL) and biomass (BTL) and their use in automobiles.

The "Professor Ferdinand Porsche Preis 2005" from the Technical University in Vienna is presented together with 50,000 Euro provided by Porsche Holding, Salzburg, and Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and is awarded to those technicians whose work will have a lasting influence of the development of the automobile.

The abbreviations GTL (Gas to Liquids) and BTL (Biomass to Liquids) represent one of the most important developments in alternative fuels. These synthetic fuels make it possible not only to use new sources of energy – and thus reduce the dependency on oil – but also create fewer emissions. "It is a source of fuel which could bridge the gap until there is a sufficient availability of hydrogen and with it the series production of the fuel cell and which can also reduce the one-sided dependency on oil that we can see today“, Professor Dr Bernhard Geringer, Head of the Institute for Internal Combustion Engines at the Technical University in Vienna, said of this development. Geringer continued, "The most impressive aspect of this approach is the possibility to synthesize a fully-defined end-product from a large number of organic substances".

If you read the website below you'll see a lot of information on new fuel technologies and vehicle technologies:
www.greencarcongress.com...

It gets updated reguraly.

Well this is indeed good news. Maybe this will be able to get us through the oil crisis until we can get some decent alternatives going.

"A temporary fix with no real benefit other than financial savings for people isint much of a fix in my book. Too much procrastination in the alternative-fuels department is eventually going to come back to bite us in the butt when we are faced with drying oil fields and colossal failure of oil-dependant systems."

I agree with you, however the fact that we are behind in the alternative-fuels department does not justify a "punish" attitude. Yes we need better options, but right now this would be a welcome 'quick fix' but only a 'fix' if we get our butts in gear and take Montanas 40 years of coal and devolope something LONG term.