Coal liquefaction in Canada-the CANMET program

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 74, No. 826, 1981

JAMES F. KELLY, Head, Coal Liquefaction Section, Synthetic Fuels Research Laboratory, Energy Research Laboratories, CANMET, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

Research and development on the production of liquid fuels from coal is rapidly expanding worldwide. Almost every industrialized country is engaged in coal liquefaction research and process development. In Canada, the federal government, through CANMET, is actively supporting coal liquefaction research and development in a number of areas.A review of the basic principles and some of the processes in the production of liquid fuels from coal is presented with reference to the characteristics of the Canadian coal resource base. An overview of the CANMET coal liquefaction contract program is presented and specific results from the batch autoclave studies carried out with Saskatchewan lignite and Nova Scotia high-volatile bituminous coals are discussed. The development of a laboratory-scale continuous-flow coal liquefaction unit at the Energy Research Laboratories of CANMET to investigate the co-processing of coal and bitumen/heavy oil is also described.

Keywords: Liquefaction, Coal liquefaction, Hydroliquefaction, CANMET, Fuels, Energy, Lignite, Bituminous coal.