Malmstrom Coal-to-Liquids Plan Dropped

In 2008, the United States Air Force proposed the development of a coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. The Air Force said it wanted to build a number of coal-to-liquids plants around the country, with the goal of meeting half its jet fuel needs with CTL fuel by 2016. In January 2009, shortly after the election of Pres. Barack Obama, the Department had a change of heart and cancelled the Malmstrom plan.

CTL plants are extremely controversial because they emit twice as much carbon dioxide per gallon of fuel produced as traditional petroleum refineries. While details on the Malmstrom plan were sketchy, the proposal was estimated to have cost between $1 billion and $4 billion, have consumed approximately 20,000 tons of coal and 10 million gallons of water each day, and have produced 20,000 to 30,000 barrels of fuel per day. It would also have produced about 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. The project would supposedly have sequestered the carbon dioxide in an undetermined location.

It is a good thing for Montana and the climate that the Air Force has abandoned this idea. Perhaps it will consider global warming implications before moving forward on future projects.

IN THE NEWS:

Air Force drops plan to make fuel from coal in Montana (by Renee Schoof, McClatchy Newspapers, 01.29.09)

SEE ALSO:

• Background on Malmstrom Coal-to-Liquids Proposal [February 2008]
  

• Concerns about Coal-to-Liquid Fuels [November 2007]

• Digging Deeper into Coals-to-Liquid Fuels [November 2006]