The following are Gasification Cost and Performance Studies:

• Current and Future IGCC Technologies:  A Pathway Study Focused on Non-Carbon Capture Advanced Power Systems R&D Using Bituminous Coal -- Volume 1 [PDF-1.5MB] (Oct 2008)
  The impact of a portfolio of advanced technologies in DOE’s Clean Coal R&D Program were evaluated in gasification-based power plant configurations (without carbon capture and sequestration) resulting in power plants that are significantly more efficient and affordable than today’s limited set of fossil energy technologies.  In the IGCC process alone, the study estimates that an 11 percentage point efficiency improvement over conventional gasification technology is possible. With fuel cell technology, process efficiency improvements upwards of 24 percentage points are potentially achievable.  Capital cost reductions result not only from less expensive technology alternatives such as warm gas cleanup and ITM air separation, but also from increased power generation brought about by advanced technology such as syngas turbines – resulting in cumulative total plant cost reductions by as much as $700/kW.  Improvements in process efficiency, reductions in capital and operating expense, and increase in capacity factor all contribute to decreased cost of electricity (COE), projecting an overall decrease by more than 3 cents/kW-hr – or a decrease of 35 percent. Pittsburgh Coal Conference Presentation [PDF-318KB]
• Current and Future IGCC Technologies:  A Pathway Study Focused on Carbon Capture Advanced Power Systems R&D Using Bituminous Coal  -- Volume 2 [PDF-1MB] (Oct 2008) A complementary study is underway to evaluate the impact of advanced technologies in gasification-based plant configurations that include carbon capture and sequestration.  The report is still in progress, but a summary of results thus far is available.
• Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Power Plants study, Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity [PDF-6.5MB] (May 2007)
  The baseline study establishes performance and cost data for fossil energy power systems, specifically integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), pulverized coal (PC), and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants all with and without carbon capture and sequestration. The analyses were performed on a consistent technical and economic basis that accurately reflects current market conditions for plants starting operation in 2010. The study serves as a benchmark to track the progress of DOE Advanced Power Systems R&D and as a baseline for analyzing fossil energy plant options. These results are considered to be the most comprehensive set of cost and performance data available in the public literature to date. The cost and performance data were compiled from published reports, information obtained from vendor quotes and users of the technology, and data from designing and building utility projects. It was peer-reviewed by industry experts, academia, and government research and regulatory agencies. In addition to the complete final report, a presentation that summarizes the results and a desk reference that contains summary sheets for each case and technology are also available.  Final Report [PDF-6.5MB], Presentation [PowerPoint-1.7MB], Desk Reference
• Fossil Energy Cost and Performance Baseline Studies
• Industrial Size Gasification for Syngas, Substitute Natural Gas and Power Production [ZIP-10MB] (Apr 2007)
• Potential Application of Coal-Derived Fuel Gases for the Glass Industry: A Scoping Analysis [PDF-254KB] (Dec 2004)
  The objective of this study is to explore the economic viability of producing coal-derived fuel gases for use in the glass manufacturing industry as an alternative to natural gas. In this study small-size gasification systems that suffer adversely from economics of scale were not considered. Instead, full-scale commercial gasification systems were analyzed that could produce enough fuel gas and electric power for several manufacturing plants. The possibility exists to gather a number of large manufacturers in a geographically centralized location in an Industrial Gasification Island (IGI) complex so that a central coal gasification plant could economically provide fuel and power to all of these industries.
• Final Report: Coal-Based Integrated Coal Gasification Combined-Cycle: Market Penetration Recommendations and Strategies [PDF-4.7MB] (Sept 2004)
  This report analyzes IGCC's potential market penetration under different environmental, technology, natural gas price, and policy incentive scenarios. In each scenario, the study identifies key findings that highlight IGCC's advantages and challenges. These findings show that IGCC is applicable in many future scenarios.
  • Final Report Appendices [PDF-2.6MB] (Sept 2004)
• Final Report: Deploying IGCC in this Decade with 3Party Covenant Financing [PDF-768KB] (July 2004)
  This report describes a 3Party Covenant financing and regulatory proposal (3Party Covenant) aimed at reducing financing costs and providing a technology risk tolerant investment structure to stimulate initial deployment of 3,500 MW of Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) coal generation power plants in this decade. The 3Party Covenant is an arrangement between the federal government, state utility commission, and equity investor that serves to lower IGCC cost of capital by reducing the cost of debt, raising the debt/equity ratio, minimizing construction financing costs, and allocating financial risk.
• Current and Future IGCC Technologies: Bituminous Coal to Power [PDF-1.3MB] (Aug 2004)
  In order to evaluate the benefits of the ongoing R&D, 15 IGCC configurations that produce electric power from bituminous coal were analyzed in this report. Twelve cases do not have carbon capture, and 3 cases capture carbon. The results show that there are potentially significant improvements that could result from continuing research development and demonstration (RD&D) in advanced IGCC systems with and without sequestration, provided that the RD&D achieves the performance and cost levels assumed in this analysis. These improvements include reduced capital costs and improved plant efficiency resulting in a 35 percent reduction in COE compared to current IGCC and sequestration technologies.
• Final Report - Volume II [PDF-635KB] (July 2004)
• Final Report: An Analysis of The Institutional Challenges To Commercialization and Deployment of IGCC Technology in The U.S. Electric Industry [PDF-602KB] (Mar 2004)
  This report identifies and prioritizes the institutional (i.e., non-technical) challenges to the rapid commercialization and deployment of coal gasification technologies in the U.S. electric power sector and provides recommendations for overcoming them. It focuses on Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle technology, the most successful method of producing electric power utilizing coal gasification. The report recommends a number of regulatory, legislative, executive and policy initiatives, at both the federal and state levels, for achieving those objectives.
  • Final Report Appendices [PDF-342KB] (Mar 2004)
• Refinery Technology Profiles - Gasification and Supporting Technologies [PDF-326KB] (June 2003)
  This report includes an overview of refinery gasification and supporting technologies and a description of the methodology used in the analysis. A comparison of this newly developed data with the current performance of the technology and the research goals of DOE’s fossil energy programs is provided. The profiles are consistent with existing refinery based gasification plants constructed and operated since 1996. The information contained in this report was used to generate the following tables for implementation in the Petroleum Marketing Module within NEMS.
• Capital and Operating Cost of Hydrogen Production from Coal Gasification [PDF-17MB] (Apr 2003)
  Due to wide differences in reported cost for capital and the need to provide a baseline cost for hydrogen production, prior plant designs and cost estimates for producing hydrogen from coal gasification utilizing commercial technology have been reviewed and updated. The key benefit of utilizing commercial technology is obtaining credible cost estimates for the plant with a minimum of process contingency. The results of the effort are intended to prepare a basis from which to utilize individualized financial parameters in the U. S. Department of Energy Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle Cost Estimating Model to arrive at a selling price for hydrogen. From a common thermal gasifier throughput, plant gate costs for hydrogen produced from coal gasification from two coals, Pittsburgh #8 bituminous and Wyodak Powder River Basin sub-bituminous, were determined from two plant designs for hydrogen production, based on currently available process technology, and meeting current permitting regulations for environmental compliance. These baseline plants will not capture CO₂. These cost estimates were prepared to quantify the differing plant characteristics associated with bituminous coal or sub-bituminous coal.
• Updated Cost and Performance Estimates for Fossil Fuel Power Plants with CO₂ Removal [PDF-42MB] (Dec 2002)
  This report presents updated results of a study on the potential cost of electricity produced in both conventional and innovative fossil-fueled power plants that incorporate CO₂ removal for subsequent sequestration or use. Baseline cases are natural gas combined-cycle and ultra-supercritical pulverized coal plants with and without post-combustion CO₂ removal, and integrated gasification combined-cycle plants with and without pre-combustion CO₂ removal.
• Major Environmental Aspects of Gasification-Based Power Generation Technologies - Final Report [PDF-9.4MB] (Dec 2002)
  This report provides a comprehensive reference resource for gasification-based power generation technologies that examines both environmental performance and regulatory topics affecting the siting and operation of commercial plants. It presents an evaluation of the environmental performance of Integrated Gasification Combined - Cycle (IGCC) power generation technology and compares IGCC environmental performance with other competing coal-based technologies.
• Forecasting the Benefits of DOE Programs for Advanced Fossil-Fuel Electricity Generating Technologies: The EIA High Fossil Electricity Technology Case [PDF-3.1MB] (Oct 2002)
  Each year the DOE Energy Information Administration (EIA) produces forecasts of U.S. energy activities for the next twenty to twenty-five years. The forecasts are generated with the EIA's National Energy Modeling System and are published in the EIA's Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) report. The AEO report is based on a business-as-usual forecast, called the Reference case, of what is most likely to happen given existing legislation and known trends for economic, technological, and demographic growth. After producing the Reference case forecast, the EIA reruns the Reference case with selected changes in the assumptions. These reruns, called "alternate" cases, selectively vary assumptions for economic growth, fuel supplies, and rates of improvements in energy technologies.
• Gasification Markets & Technologies - Present and Future: An Industry Perspective [PDF-5.8MB] (July 2002)
  This report presents industry's views of technologies, market opportunities, and both long-term and short-term research needs deemed critical to improving the economics and performance of gasification technologies. The principal findings are the result of confidential interviews with "expert teams" from 22 prominent organizations across a wide span of the U.S. gasification industry, all of which are identified as having a direct influence on current and future technology trends.
• Benchmarking Biomass Gasification Technologies for Fuels, Chemicals & Hydrogen Production [PDF-291KB] (June 2002)
  The overall objective of this paper is to survey and benchmark existing-commercial or near-commercial biomass gasification technologies for suitability to generate syngas compatible with commercial or near-commercial end-use technologies for fuels, chemicals and hydrogen manufacture.  This study considered the specific fuel and chemical applications: Fischer-Tropsch fuels, methanol, hydrogen, and fuel gas.