LP Amina and Gemeng International Energy Sign MOU to Build the World's First Plant with Innovative Coal-to-Chemical technology - a Breakthrough in Energy and Emissions Efficiencies

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LP Amina, a multinational environmental engineering company with United States headquarters in Charlotte, NC, and Gemeng International Energy (GMIE), a major Chinese power producer, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the world's first poly-generation facility using LP Amina's Integrated Fractionation Conventional Generation (IFCG) technology. This innovative technology is a new process to produce certain chemical intermediates from coal, while reducing production costs and lower emissions compared to the conventional petroleum process in use today. The first IFCG unit will be installed at GMIE's facility in Shanxi, China, and is scheduled to be fully operational in the first half of 2012.

This project is a pilot-scale demonstration of LP Amina's IFCG System and will co-produce electric power and high value hydrocarbon streams at significantly lower cost and emissions. The innovative design enables the simultaneous production of chemical feedstock and thermal energy, which is in turn converted into electric power, thus tremendously reducing energy losses and production costs. The technology also reduces harmful green-house gas emissions by more than 25 percent compared to the conventional petroleum process.

When fully adopted, this novel technology will provide tremendous benefits to the entire chemical industry by offering a viable, efficient, and less polluting alternative to derive chemical feedstock from coal instead of petroleum, for commodity plastics mainly for the construction industry. The technology can also be deployed in any conventional coal-based power generation facility in the world, as well as enhance its operating performance.

The MOU was signed by Will Latta, LP Amina's Managing Director, and Ren Xiaotong, Vice General Manager, GMIE.

"This deal exemplifies how cooperation between the U.S. and China can benefit both countries while reducing carbon emissions in the coal power sector," said US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "We are pleased that it has come to fruition under the banner of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, launched by the presidents of our two countries." 

"This is a significant milestone for LP Amina towards making this breakthrough technology a reality. We are delighted to partner with GMIE to showcase our technology because of their willingness and foresight to collaborate on innovative power generation techniques," stated Latta.

Mr. Ren was also optimistic: "This partnership will assist our company in achieving greater economic benefits, and more critically, minimize adverse environmental impact. We are confident we will collaborate well with LP Amina's expert staff and engineers to ensure the success of this project."

About LP Amina

LP Amina is a multinational environmental engineering company with research and development activities in the US, Europe and Asia. Established in 2007, LP Amina has over 100 full time employees and a network of over 2,000 technicians working in diverse locations around the globe. LP Amina strives to be the most innovative environmental solution provider to the energy industry and to contribute to an environmentally sustainable, low cost energy future.  LP Amina's emission reduction technologies provide major decreases in greenhouse gases allowing power plants to comply with the existing policies, create surpluses in tradable emission permits while paving the way for sustainable energy generation. LP Amina is also among the pioneers in the development of new and environmentally sustainable raw materials for the Chemical Industry. In a partnership with world leading innovators, LP Amina is creating cutting edge technology for coal-to-chemical conversion providing an alternative platform to petroleum-based feedstock.

Gemeng International Energy Company Limited

Founded in Dec 2007，Gemeng International Energy Co., Ltd (GMIE) is a joint venture approved by Ministry of Commerce of PRC and Shanxi Provincial Government. The company's ownership is shared by five parties--Shanxi International Energy Group (SIEG), Korea Electric Power Corporation, Deutsche Bank, J-Power and Chugoku Electric Power INC. GMIE, with registered capital of 10 billion Yuan, is the largest JV project in Shanxi, with asset value exceeding 30 Billion RMB.

Since its foundation, GMIE sticks to the ideology of "transitional development", developing vigorously "Seven Business Sectors" strategy and taking the development of green power and clean energy as its mission.  Company's total installed generating capacity exceeds 4420MWs. GMIE is currently putting in place additional 1800MWs of generating capacity. Additional 10GW are planned to be commissioned during the period of "Twelfth Five Year Plan".    GMIE also runs six coal mines with yearly output of 6.3 million tons. GMIE is entitled by Shanxi Provincial Government to construct 500 miles of gas distribution pipeline from Taiyuan to Changzhi in the east of Shanxi and 8 gas distribution branch pipelines with total length of 300 miles. The yearly gas distribution volume will reach 3 billion cubic meters. GMIE operates 150MW of wind power generating capacity and successfully run the first garbage-fired power plant in Shanxi, consuming 450 thousand tons of garbage per year, and 9 sewage water disposing plants. Besides, solar power, IGCC and water power projects will be started soon. 

Within three years, GMIE has developed into a large competitive energy enterprise. Its seven business sectors are developing in coordination, its assets doubling, its operating income increasing and its management system improving. During the "Twelfth Five Year Plan," GMIE will keep introducing advanced technology, management practices and foreign capital and create a new setup of transitional development as well as make great contributions to social and economic development and environment protection.

SOURCE LP Amina