Bowie Resource Partners, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, submitted a proposal to Colorado mining regulators to develop a coal gasification plant at its Paonia, Colorado, mine, a report by the Denver Post says.
The mine idled in 2016 because of the declining coal industry, the report says, so Bowie created a plan that involves processing up to 72 tons of dried and crushed coal waste per day using heat, pressure and chemicals to create a synthetic gas that can be used for electricity or diesel fuel.
El Camino Duro Investments, a company headquartered in the Bahamas, will provide the gasification system for the plant, the report says. The system would operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year without interruption. According to the report, the plant would also be capable of processing organic materials, municipal waste, wood, tires, biomass and hospital waste.
Bowie Resources submitted the plans as a technical revision, causing some issues for stakeholders, officials on the local, state and federal levels and Western Slope conservation groups.
After the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety mailed letters to these parties informing them of Bowie’s plans, concerns were raised about the clarity of the company’s proposal, the report says. The company is currently fielding public comments for the proposal and asked the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to hold off on making a decision until the end of December.
Colorado coal mine proposes gasification plant
Bowie Resource Partners’ Colorado coal mine idled in 2016.
December 6, 2016
REW Staff
REW Staff