June 4 (Reuters) - In South Africa, around 40 million tonnes of coal per year are converted into 160,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Below is a list of other countries moving towards turning coal into liquids.
CHINA In 2005, Shenhua Group Corp Ltd, the world's top coal producer, started construction of the largest coal-to-liquids plant in China.
This project will have an ultimate capacity of 50,000-60,000 barrels per day of crude equivalent and will be located in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The first stage of the plant is expected to begin production late in 2007. Gasoline, jet fuels and diesel would be the main products.
Shenhua plans to build further coal-to-liquids plants, which will make the equivalent of 10 million tonnes of crude oil by 2010. It hopes to lift production to 30 million tonnes by 2020.
UNITED STATES The United States is the top oil consumer and holder of the world's largest known coal reserves. A number of projects are undergoing feasibility studies. Peabody Energy Corp is pushing for a massive expansion of coal-to-liquids.
Its plan, cited by the National Resources Defense Council, would require more than 30 new coal conversion plants costing more than $6 billion to build. Vancouver-based energy project development company Baard Energy LLC is pressing ahead with a plant in Ohio that should come onstream in around 2011-2012, the Coal-to-Liquids Coalition said.
AUSTRALIA Monash Energy has established a project in Victoria, Australia, to produce 62,000 barrels per day of clean coal-derived diesel and other liquids and aims to have a demonstration plant in place by 2010.
INDONESIA Indonesia has significant coal reserves and, although a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a net importer of oil. In early 2006, mining group Bumi Resources Tbk announced plans to build an 80,000 barrels per day coal-to-liquids facility in South Sumatra.
GERMANY The Fischer-Tropsch coal-to-liquids process was invented in Germany during the 1920s and interest in the technology is re-emerging. A pre-feasibility study is being undertaken for a 3,000 barrels per day facility at the Schwarze Pumpe industrial facility at Spreetal -- the first phase of a larger 20,000 barrels per day project.
Sources: World Coal Institute, the Coal to Liquids Coalition, the International Energy Agency.
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