The Coal to Liquids (CTL) Process
The next stage of the CTL process, liquefaction, requires the conditioned syngas to be reacted over a catalyst - the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process - to produce the crude hydrocarbons.
One of the leading processes, Rentech’s FT Technology, uses an iron catalyst in the reactor vessel. 12 identical reactors are required to achieve plant capacity of 30,000 bbl/d of crude products. Each reactor has a dedicated steam drum to assist to operate independently at its optimum condition.
One advantage of using Iron based catalysts as opposed to the main alternative of cobalt is that any waxes produced are non-carcinogenic and can therefore be used in a wider range of applications such as food preparation and packaging where they attract a premium price.
Product Upgrade
The crude products from the FT synthesis are upgraded to the target products in a manner similar to that employed in a conventional oil refinery. Product upgrade uses established technologies and is available from a number of recognized providers.
With a proven range of world class technology providers to choose from for the final design basis, Jacobs, Altona’s engineering technology consultants, believe the technologies proposed for the FT Liquids and Power co-generation plant are both technically reliable and competitive in world terms.