Major breakthrough: Xinjiang’s first coal underground gasification project is operating stably

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Major breakthrough: Xinjiang’s first coal underground gasification project is operating stably. Author/Source: Tianshan Net. Date: 2019-08-02. Clicks: 6. On July 29, a review meeting was held in Xinjiang regarding the \"Feasibility of the 450,000 tons/year coal underground gasification and comprehensive utilization project, as well as the performance of the preliminary works for Phase 1.\" The experts present believed that the implementation of the coal underground gasification project in Xinjiang has laid the foundation for the industrial promotion and demonstration of coal underground gasification. The next step is to build a 450,000 tons per year coal underground gasification and comprehensive utilization project in the Bortologai coalfield in the Tacheng region. The attendees included 4 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as representatives from the technical expert team of China International Engineering Consulting Corporation, the Department of Industry and Information Technology of the autonomous region, the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology of Tacheng Region, and the Development and Reform Commission of Tacheng Region. It is reported that the preliminary phase of Xinjiang’s first coal underground gasification project is located in Area 6 of the Kumtag Shahr Lake coal field in Shanshan County, Turpan City. It was constructed by Xinjiang Guoli Heng Clean Energy Technology Co., Ltd.; the coal seam lies at a depth of 450 meters, making it the project with the greatest depth for well-free gasification coal mining in China to date. Construction of the project began in August 2017; after nearly a year of work, successful ignition was achieved on July 20, 2018. To date, it has been operating stably for 350 days, producing a total of 6 million standard cubic meters of effective syngas. This provides a reliable basis for the design and construction of further demonstration projects for underground coal gasification. On this basis, Xinjiang Guoli Heng Clean Energy Technology Co., Ltd. will cooperate with the Tacheng Region and the Bukhsayir Mongol Autonomous County to build a coal underground gasification and comprehensive utilization project with an annual capacity of 450,000 tons in the Bortologai mining area. By leveraging the local abundant coal resources and employing new technologies, this project will promote regional economic development, improve the local environmental quality, and generate significant economic and social benefits. Underground coal gasification is a process in which coal buried underground is burned under controlled conditions, generating combustible gases through the gasification and carbonization of the coal in place. In simple terms, it involves driving a pipe from the surface down into the coal seam to deliver oxygen and water; then the coal seam is ignited to trigger reactions that produce gases such as methane and carbon monoxide. These gases are then drawn to the surface through another pipe, and after processes such as separation and purification, they can be used as energy sources in various industrial and domestic applications. Since the coal gasification process takes place in underground coal seams, the dust generated can be contained underground, reducing pollution of the surface air. It is understood that coal constitutes the main source of energy in China. The technology of underground coal gasification transforms traditional coal mining methods, enabling safer and more efficient coal production while also promoting green environmental protection and cleaner combustion of coal. This represents a significant breakthrough in the development and utilization of deep coal resources in China, and it holds great strategic importance for China’s energy security and structural adjustments. Xinjiang is a major coal chemical industry base in China, but due to limited water resources and long-distance transportation challenges, the efficient and clean utilization of coal has not yet been able to play its full role. Underground coal gasification can make use of the groundwater present in the coal strata, as well as the condensate water generated during the syngas production process, thereby achieving a balance in water levels during the gasification process. This allows for near-zero wastewater discharge, helping to protect the ecological environment in Xinjiang, and thus enabling the production of coal-to-natural gas without consuming large amounts of water resources.