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Dodds-Roundhill Coal Gasification Project
Overview
Sherritt International Corporation has proposed
to develop Canada’s
first commercial coal gasification, the
Dodds-Roundhill Coal Gasification Project. Coal gasification is a clean alternative for converting coal
into energy products. It involves the following: - The gasification
process breaks down coal to produce three main chemical components: Hydrogen,
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, collectively known as synthesis gas
(syngas).
- Syngas
can be used for fuel, as a petrochemical feedstock, or can be further
processed into hydrogen for use by bitumen upgraders and crude oil
refineries in Alberta.
Other potential products include methanol and synthetic natural gas.
- The
primary byproduct of hydrogen production is high-purity carbon dioxide,
which is easily captured.
- Carbon
dioxide can be either sequestered or used in enhanced oil recovery rather than emitted directly into the
atmosphere, which has obvious environmental benefits.
The proposed Project will include a surface coal mine and a
coal gasification facility located approximately 80 km southeast of Edmonton, Alberta, and
just south of the town of Tofield and village of Ryley and north of the hamlet of Round
Hill – refer to map on sidebar. Sherritt has a long history of meeting environmental
standards at its mining operations in Alberta.
In the past, the company has won awards for its reclamation efforts. In 2006,
it planted 326,280 trees on 136 hectares of land and seeded 59 hectares of
reclaimed land. Sherritt’s application for development of the Dodds-Roundhill
Coal Gasification Plant will be subject to a detailed technical review by
local, provincial and federal authorities.
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