China coal industry in partnership in Texas

Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc (SES), a global energy and gasification technology company based in Houston, announced that it has signed a global business and market development cooperation agreement with China Coal Research Institute (CCRI) on Wednesday.

CCRI is a subsidiary of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Corporation (CCTEG), which is considered the backbone of China's coal industry. It evaluates and prepares global projects for coal gasification and related downstream technologies for China's coal industry.

The agreement is intended to deliver global clean energy technology projects that dovetail with the China's One Belt, One Road "Going Out" initiative by using SES Gasification Technology (SGT).

SES and CCRI have jointly designated a group of initial projects, currently in development in multiple countries, to be the first priority projects of the new global alliance.

All projects will utilize SES's advanced SGT to efficiently produce clean syngas from low-grade coals to produce products such as chemicals, substitute natural gas, industrial syngas and distributed power, according to the announcement.

"This alliance is a big step forward for SES because it strengthens our global reach capability in the developing economies along Asia's Silk Road," said Robert Rigdon, president and CEO of Synthesis Energy Systems. "Along with our new partner, CCRI, our focus is keenly on winning orders based on projects that will use our advanced gasification technology."

"Our goal is to bring China's great coal-based industry expertise and capability to the world through building new clean and advanced coal gasification projects," said Chen Yafei, vice-director of CCRI. "SES's unique low-cost coal flexibility, lower cost to build, plus SGT's clean and efficient performance, open up project opportunities providing a clear path forward."

Chen said that CCRI has a successful track record in a variety of countries, including Iran, Mongolia, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia, Burma, Pakistan, India, Albania and Canada. The new alliance will help CCRI become more competitive globally.

SES has been in China since 2008 creating clean energy from low-quality coal. It had partnered up with Aluminum Corporation of China, China's largest alumina and primary aluminum producer, and state-owned power company Dengfeng Power Group Co, Ltd in Henan in the past for coal-based clean energy projects.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com