Transport Integrated Gasification™

Converting Coal into a Clean-Burning Gas

The Transport Integrated Gasification (TRIG™) process is designed to provide a clean, efficient and reliable method for using low-cost, low-rank coal — an abundant fuel resource — in electric power generation. Specifically, TRIG™ converts coal into a clean-burning gas that can fuel integrated gasification combined-cycle power plants, which are designed to be more efficient and cleaner than traditional coalfired plants. In addition, TRIG™ incorporates process enhancements that can increase affordability. For instance, in some markets, carbon captured in conjunction with the TRIG™ process can be sold for use in enhanced oil recovery, which can significantly offset the cost of fuel. In markets where the cost of natural gas is high or supply is constrained, TRIG™ offers the energy security of using an indigenous coal resource that often goes unused.

The Technology

TRIG™ has been developed over the last two decades at the Power Systems Development Facility — now the National Carbon Capture Center — in Alabama, which is a focal point of the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to expand technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and natural gas-based power generation. The nation’s first commercial-scale deployment of TRIG™ is under development at the Kemper County energy facility in Mississippi.

During the gasification process, coal is fed into the gasifier and heated to a high temperature and high pressure. The combination of heat and pressure turns the coal into gas, facilitating removal of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and creating a clean-burning gas fuel. Specifically, TRIG™ improves upon the traditional gasification process by using air, rather than pure oxygen, to gasify the coal and by allowing a high rate of coal-to-gas conversion.

The Benefits

• Improved environmental performance: TRIG™ is designed to support coal-based generation with resulting carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to a similarly sized natural gas plant.
• Increased efficiency: TRIG™ is designed to produce more power with lower operation and maintenance costs than is currently possible with other gasification technologies.
• Preserving a global fuel resource: More than half the world’s coal reserves consist of lower-grade lignite and subbituminous coal, which TRIG™ was developed to use. As global electricity demand grows, TRIG™ can provide a valuable solution for 21st century coal generation, particularly in the countries of Eastern Europe, China, South Korea, Australia and Indonesia.

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