ENN unlocks the true potential for abundant, indigenous low-rank coal by efficiently converting it to high-quality natural gas. ENN’s proprietary technology CCTM represents the third-generation coal gasification——a more efficient and less costly approach to producing methane from coal. Unlike previous multi-step coal-to-natural gas process, it integrates gasification, water gas shift reaction and methanation into a single, one-step pressurized fluidized bed reactor, resulting in elevated methane concentrations.
Technical Principles
ENN’s CCTM is a process in which gasification, water gas shift reaction and methanation of coal and gasifying agent (steam, hydrogen, CO) take place in a single reactor in the presence of multi-functional catalyst, so that endothermic and exothermic reactions can be integrated to improve methane yield and overall efficiency. In this process, coal is gasified between 700-800℃ at 3.0-4.5 MPa within a pressurized fluidized bed. The gas leaving the gasifier contains 24% methane.
Competitive Advantages
Wide Feedstock Adaptability: CCTM is able to operate in a wide range of feedstock (bituminous, sub-bituminous, lignite and anthracite).
High methane concentration: The concentration of methane in the raw gas is up to 24%, twice as high as that produced by conventional coal gasification.
High Energy Utilization Efficiency: By adopting staged conversion of low-rank coal, the overall efficiency of the whole facility exceeds 60%.
Low Environmental Impact: Because indirect gas condensation is used, no coke washing wastewater is produced. Furthermore, the undecomposed reactor water is used for catalyst recovery, achieving near zero discharge.
Technology Status
ENN began to invest in Catalytic Coal Gasification in 2008 and then it evolved from bench scale testing to 0.5 and 5 ton/day pilot plants scale-up. We completed development and validation of a number of key technologies, which include catalyst development, loading and recovery, coal selection and catalyst matching, process scale up with simulations, pressurized fluidization stability control technology, oil-gas-water-dust separation and fluidized-bed gasifier design, etc. So far, ENN has been granted nearly 200 patents for catalysts, fluidized bed gasifier and aftertreatment systems. ENN broke ground on the CCG demonstration plant with a total processing capacity of 1,500 tons per day in Dalad Banner, Inner Mongolia in April 2016 and successfully produced LNG in September 2018. As of the end of 2019, the demo plant successfully operated for 1,000 hours and achieved key technical objectives, like carbon conversion efficiency, methane yield and gas output, which is an important step toward the commercialization of coal gasification.
CCG demonstration plant in Inner Mongolia