Another Step Closer

Review Reporter Jeremy Lydic brought us news yesterday that Baard Energy has formed a "partnership" with Shell Oil to use their process to convert coal to liquid gas. After a little research I think that "partnership" is more a license agreement allowing Baard to use the Shell owned technology process to produce petroleum from coal. That process is called the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology and its patent is held by Shell Oil. The FT process is named after two German researchers named Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch who discovered the process in the 1920s. Somewhere along the line Shell Oil bought the licensing rights. Over the years the process has been improved and expanded. It is widely used across Europe but Baard is the first USA company to obtain the license. Baard got that license for their new plant being planned right next door to the ville.

In the same article Mr. Lydic reported that Baard has also bought the ten-story gasifiers needed to convert coal to fuel. So there are two very big ticket items that Baard has committed to for the new plant to be built here. In another article Mr. Lydic reported that the Port Authority's Wellsville Intemodal Industrial Park is about to get a crane system for barge loading and unloading. He didn't say when or if it has been bought yet but in quoting Tracy Drake it is beginning to sound like a pretty sure thing.

Little by little as each piece comes together seeing this plant come to the ville area is getting another step closer. Look out when it does.

ole nib

Post note: Who the devil is Jeremy Lydic? Is he Lucille's replacement?