A coalbed gas and natural gas comprehensive utilization park in Shanxi's Shouyang county recently went into operation. It's the first of its kind in China. The park will use 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually, producing more than 2 billion yuan in comprehensive output value and 500 million yuan in taxes. It will also become Shanxi's first fuel gas-steam combined-cycle power plant and the biggest natural gas peak load regulation center in the province.

The park covers an area of 26.7 hectares and involves a total investment of 3 billion yuan. It consists of combined heat and power generation, low-concentration coalbed methane purification and liquidation, and coalbed methane comprehensive development and utilization. The project uses coalbed gas as fuel. Its gas turbine features a low-nitrogen combustion system, which can reduce 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, as compared with a coal-fired power plant. There will be no sulfide emissions and the nitric oxide emissions will be one-fourth that of a coal-fired power plant. The park uses residual heat to supply heat to Shouyang and can replace 10 five-ton-per-hour coal-fired steam boilers.

Officials said that the park can generate 723 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, supply heat for an area of 800,000 square meters, send out 130,000 tons of liquefied coalbed methane, and offer liquid (gas) service to 360,000 vehicles, replacing 10 million tons of fire coal and reducing 500 cubic meters of coal mine gas emissions. The park is committed to solving dust and gas pollution and plays an important role in ensuring stable energy supply, optimizing energy structure, safeguarding energy security and boosting the local economy in Shanxi.

Edited by Liu Yufen and Michael Thai