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MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. - On a wind-swept air base near the Missouri River, the Air Force has launched an ambitious plan to wean itself from foreign oil by turning to a new and unlikely source: coal.

The Air Force wants to build at its Malmstrom base in central Montana the first piece of what it hopes will be a nationwide network of facilities that would convert domestic coal into cleaner-burning synthetic fuel.

Air Force officials said the plants could help neutralize a national security threat by tapping into the country's abundant coal reserves. And by offering itself as a partner in the Malmstrom plant, the Air Force hopes to prod Wall Street investors - nervous over coal's role in climate change - to sink money into similar plants nationwide.

"We're going to be burning fossil fuels for a long time, and there's three times as much coal in the ground as there are oil reserves," said Air Force Assistant Secretary William Anderson. "Guess what? We're going to burn coal."

Tempering that vision, analysts say, is the astronomical cost of coal-to-liquids plants. Their high price tag, up to $5 billion apiece, would be hard to justify if oil prices were to drop. In addition, coal has drawn wide opposition on Capitol Hill, where some leading lawmakers reject claims it can be transformed into a clean fuel. Without emissions controls, experts say coal-to-liquids plants could churn out double the greenhouse gases as oil.

"We don't want new sources of energy that are going to make the greenhouse gas problem even worse," House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said in a recent interview.

The Air Force would not finance, construct or operate the coal plant. Instead, it has offered private developers a 700-acre site on the base and a promise that it would be a ready customer as the government's largest fuel consumer.

Bids on the project are due in May. Construction is expected to take four years once the Air Force selects a developer.

Anderson said the Air Force plans to fuel half its North American fleet with a synthetic-fuel blend by 2016. To do so, it would need 400 million gallons of coal-based fuel annually.

With the Air Force paving the way, Anderson said the private sector would follow - from commercial air fleets to long-haul trucking companies.

"Because of our size, we can move the market along," he said. "Whether it's (coal-based) diesel that goes into Wal-Mart trucks or jet fuel that goes into our fighters, all that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, which is the endgame."

Coal producers have been unsuccessful in prior efforts to cultivate such a market. Climate change worries prompted Congress last year to turn back an attempt to mandate the use of coal-based synthetic fuels.

The Air Force's involvement comes at a critical time for the industry. Coal's biggest customers, electric utilities, have scrapped at least four dozen proposed coal-fired power plants over rising costs and the uncertainties of climate change.

That would change quickly if coal-to-liquids plants gained political and economic traction under the Air Force's plan.

And your point is, Gordon?...There is a need to look forward 10-20 years, not just net year's crisis. I think it is long oberdue but was expecting more use of nuclear energy to be honest.

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This particular forum is used mainly for posting news and information.


I do agree with you about investing in more nuclear energy.

As a country, I think it is about time that we acknowledge that our Military is as dependent on foreign oil as we are. I am glad that they are taking this first step to become energy independent,

As per global warming, both Canadian and Chinese scientists are now saying we may be heading to a period of global cooling.

Once again someone raises the issue of coal powering our aircraft. The facts are that the coal will be turned to diesel/JP-x using the Fischer-Tropf process of coal to liquids. This system produces CO-2. This process is being used by a co. called Rentech,Inc., which is b uilding a plant in Natchez, MS. The CO-2 will be piped to lower LA and may be injected into the ground to recover more oil from depleted fields. The AF has flown a B-52 and more recently a B-1 using this fuel. Civil aiecraft will probably be certified for this fuel soon.

The one thing this does is greatly reduced our dependamce on foreign oil. Maybe we can get back down to prices tyhe truckers can afford to bring our commodities. This is a National Security Issue!!!

This same process was used by the Navy in the 1960s on a trial basis to power a Diesel ship. The results were that the fuel was okay, but the cost and complexity and ineficiency of the manufacturing process made it not viable.

related...


Synthetic Fuel Testing Begins On Fighter Engine

(Source: U.S. Air Force; issued April 30, 2008)

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --- Engineers at Arnold Engineering Development Center began testing a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine April 29 in the J-1 simulated altitude jet engine test cell using a blend of alternative synthetic fuel. The engine is the power plant for the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Once testing and evaluation is complete, this will be the first fighter jet engine to use the synthetic blend.

Since 2006, AEDC specialists have taken an active role in supporting the U.S. Air Force's Alternative Fuels Certification Office in the evaluation and certification of the synthetic paraffinic kerosene alternative fuel, which is derived from natural gas or coal using the Fischer-Tropsch process, for use in all Air Force aircraft.

Testing at AEDC on the General Electric F101 engine, the power plant for the B-1 Lancer bomber, was the first series of testing of a high performance, afterburning engine with FT fuel for a combat aircraft. This engine also was tested in the center's J-1 high altitude jet engine test cell.

Air Force officials have already certified the engines for the B-52 Stratofortress bomber to operate on FT fuel, and the C-17 Globemaster III transport has flown on SPK fuel.

The successful flight of the B-1B March 19 helped to reinforce the feasibility of the projected timeline for the Air Force's alternative fuels initiative.

Since 1969, AEDC has logged more than 20,000 hours testing the F100 engine.

-ends-

Rentech, Inc. (RTK) has completed their Product Demonstration Unit (PDU) and over the next few weeks will be bringing it online in stages. This will demonstrate the feasibility of the Fischer-Tropf (FT) process of delivering diesel/jp-x from coal. The Air Force is definitly interested in their product and if all goes as planned, it could reduce diesel by half (not very soon but in a few years). Any thing to bring the cost down. Looks like I may be searching for a diesel auto the next vehicle I need. Rentech is also going to work with a company in CA to convert household garbage into diesel. Maybe we won't need the state of Texas for a future landfill. Check Rentech's wesite out for further info.

Fischer-Tropf fuel is now a reality. Rentech, Inc., initiated production at their "PDU" in Denver this week with very good results. The CEO of the company appeared on "Kudlow"(MSNBC), and Glen Beck. This is the only plant in the US producing JP-x/diesel but it is a start. Their plant (under construction) in Natchez, MS is much larger and the CO-2 generated in the process will be sequestered in a depleted oil field in MS or Louisiana. Progress marches on and our total reliance on foreign oil will begin to diminish in the next 2 to 5 years. Time then, to look at diesel autos.

"Air Force News & Information
The place to discuss news, articles, reports and official AF announcements"

"If you're looking for a "point" to "counterpoint" I recommend you click here.

This particular forum is used mainly for posting news and information."

coal in an airplane makes about as much sense as alcohol in a car. undoubtly coal in a airplane provides a net negative energy gain.

af should do more predator missions. perhaps if gates cans enough idiots the leadership will get message.