An $800 million investment by mining giant CONSOL could position the West Virginia as a global leader in modern coal technology. CONSOL announced before that it plans to build a coal gasification plant capable of producing 720,000 metric tons of methanol that can be used as feedstock for the chemical industry. Officials are expecting that the project will be capable of converting methanol to about 100 million gallons per year of 87 octane gasoline. CONSOL, and Synthesis Energy Systems are planning to develop the plant in northern part of West Virginia in the Benwood community which belongs to Marshall County by the year 2012. The construction of the nation's first modern coal-to-liquid plant will help to propel the state of West Virginia to the forefront of national energy leadership. The project will give West Virginia an opportunity to show the world that the state is a global leader in energy issues and modern coal technology. With the nation is in the midst of a serious energy crisis, the development of the $800 million coal gasification plant tells the world that West Virginia is no longer waiting around for someone else to solve the growing energy woes of the nation and the world. CTL plant will create jobs, meet modern environmental standards and develop the state's most abundant domestic resource - coal. West Virginia has the coal, the brains and the determination to meet the energy challenges of the nation. The state is demonstrating to the world that it intends to be a part of the solution. The creation of the nations' first modern coal-to-liquids plant right here in the Mountain State does in fact send a message to the nation and the world. This historic announcement puts the nation on a path to using clean coal technologies as a way to address our national energy needs. The state is taking an important first step toward meeting this goal, and sending a unified message to the nation and the world, by developing our most abundant domestic resource. Clean coal technology is a major part of the future of the state. That future begins now in the Northern Panhandle on West Virginia. Clean coal technology is a method use to produce a more efficient and environment friendly coal. The method includes chemical washing, gasification, steaming to remove sulfur dioxide and capturing carbon dioxide. The concept of clean coal technology is said to be the solution to climate change and global warming caused by traditional coal mining, not to mention the fact that it can be an alternative solution from the oil crisis that we are suffering from right now. The implementation of the $800 million investment will put West Virginia on the top of the line as the major producer of clean coal. This giant step will be the first in the history of US or maybe in the entire planet. West Virginia is rich with these natural resources. With the proper implementation of clean coal technology, the state could be the global leader in clean coal mining.
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