Belwood Coal-to-Liquids

The proposed Belwood Coal-to-Liquids plant would produce synthetic diesel and other fuels from coal and petroleum coke. The project depends on $2.75 billion in state-issued bonds.

As of May 2009, Rentech has not yet turned in an air-permit application to the Mississippi DEQ. During an earnings call on August 11, representatives of Rentech, Inc. stated that they are “on track” to complete the air permit application for their Natchez project and plan to turn it into the state by fall 2009.

In December 2009, Rentech announced that several large airline companies including American, US Airways, Delta, and Lufthansa had signed a memorandum of understanding to buy 500,000 barrels per month of jet fuel from the proposed plant. Rentech said that it would capture a portion of the carbon dioxide produced by the plant and pipe it to Texas for enhanced oil recovery. The company also said that the plant is designed to burn biomass as well as coal. In December 2010, the Department of Energy announced that it had conditionally awarded $23 million to Rentech, Inc. and ClearFuels Technology, Inc. for their gasification research. This award is conditional upon final approval of application documents and the completion of all negotiations.

In March 2012, Rentech reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it was abandoning the facility.

Project Details
Sponsor: Rentech Location: Natchez, Adams County, MS Capacity: 25,000 barrels/day Type: Synfuels Projected in service: 2014 Status: Cancelled 2012

Citizen Groups

 * Mississippi Sierra Club, Louie Miller, louie.miller [at] sierraclub.org

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Mississippi and coal
 * United States and coal
 * Carbon Capture and Storage
 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * State-by-state guide to information on coal in the United States (or click on the map)