Quote:
Originally Posted by sammyg2
This plant cost $2.1 billion in the early 80's (probably equivalent to about $6 billion today) and earned $40 million a year on it's best year. That's a payback of around 28 years, if every single year is at or near a record as far as profitably.
Not much of a payback, but maybe they've figured out how to do things much better today  |
Invalid comparison, as that plant is built based on decades old technology. Any modern plant should be quite a bit more efficient, and therefore profitable. It's like saying hybrid vehicles are inviable because the early prototypes from the late 80s were unprofitable under performers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryD
Like it or not, the hydrogen to liquify coal has to come from somewhere. All known processes to make hydrogen from available resources, require energy to liberate the hydrogen to be used in turn liquify or gasify the coal.
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We have a truly mind-boggling amount of coal to work with. There is enough to harvest the carbon for both the hydrogen and the gas itself, for quite a long time.
The question is, how much will it cost. If you can make this stuff for $2.50 a gallon, and it's on US Soil, then it's sure as hell worth it. We should start
NOW.