Synthetic liquid fuels: prospects for innovative technologies based on underground coal gasification

The growing demand for energy, the depletion of oil and gas reserves, and the threat of global climate change have led to an increase in interest in underground coal gasification technologies (UCG) around the world. The potential for using underground gasification of low-grade coal resources with complex mining and geological conditions is huge. The main challenge is the development of competitive technologies for the production of synthesis gas and production of electricity, heat, and synthetic liquid fuels on its basis. The paper presents a study of one of the promising areas of the use of UCG gas for the combined production of synthetic liquid fuel (methanol) and electricity. A mathematical model of the installation for combined production of methanol and electricity (ICPME) was developed. Based on this mathematical model, a technical and economic optimization of the parameters was carried out to assess the prospects of the scale of application of this coal processing method. The purpose of research conducted using the mathematical models of the ICPME is to determine the optimal parameters of the installation and the sensitivity of its economic performance indicators to changes in external conditions.