Eastman to build gasification facility
Eastman is going to build a new $1.6 Billion gasification facility in Beaumont, Texas.
Press Release
GreenCarCongress Post
The facility will use petroleum coke as a feedstock - presumingly provided by the many refineries in and around Beaumont. Here’s a quick excerpt:
The gasification facility will produce hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, chemical industry feedstocks that are usually derived from oil or natural gas. These feedstocks frequently serve as the base material for everyday products ranging from plastics, paints, photographic film, and pharmaceuticals.
This is obviously a great opportunity for Eastman and for the people in Beaumont. It will create a lot of jobs and economic opportunities.
But I’m a bit concerned about the number of gasification facilities that are going up. Well, not really concerned, but a bit surprised. Not because of the potential applications and benefits (I’m a proponent of those). But we haven’t really got a lot of experience doing underground CO2 sequestration. It’s good for Eastman to be on the fore-front of that (can’t let the big oil guys have all the fun). But this is still a new technology that still needs to develop a lot of tools and techniques involved with it. It’s also very location-specific. Each location is unique and needs to be carefully evaluated for it suitability. The other potential for this facility is to use the CO2 produced for well injection.
So this is clearly a good move for Eastman, but it also should spark a debate on the state of CO2 sequestration technology and practices. For all its benefits, this process must be done properly to ensure its long-term viability. And while I like the hustle on getting it up-and-running, I don’t think the environmental benefit (not necessarily the economic benefit) could be lost if it’s done wrong the first time.
Good job Eastman.
