New Delhi: Total Sinergy International (TSI) today announced the launch of GEO-COAL technology, a simple and economical process of upgrading the energy content of low rank coal by 50 to 100 percent .

A patent has been filed by Drew & Napier LLC Singapore for the breakthrough technology developed in Asia. TSI has also signed an agreement with a subsidiary of Indonesian national utility company, PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PT PLN), on their joint research and development to use GEO-COAL technology in one of its power generation plants in Indonesia.

“The interest in using GEO-COAL technology validates the process we have developed to cost effectively boost the quality of coal supplied to power plants, thereby improving their operating efficiency,” says Mr. Peter Gunn, Director of TSI. “GEO-COAL expands the energy supply by converting stranded low rank coal resources into high rank quality coal with a greater calorific value, bringing affordable energy to people around the world and supporting the economic growth of developing countries. We are excited by the possibilities offered by this paradigm changing invention and are looking to quickly bring it to markets including Indonesia, China, India, Malaysia and Australia.”

GEO-COAL processes raw brown coal with superheated steam, removing 60 to 80 percent of the moisture and increasing the energy content of the initial low rank coal feedstock by 50 to 100 percent. GEO-COAL technology also maintains the inherently low sulphur and ash levels of the low rank coal feedstock, helping power generation plants meet today’s strict emissions standards.

“The relative cleanliness of our coal makes it a natural bridging energy source as the world transits from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which is still in its infancy and won’t be able to fully replace the former for a few more decades. Coal is also drawing renewed attention as several countries relook their nuclear power plans,” adds Mr. Gunn.

The ingenuity behind GEO-COAL technology lies in its use of coal waste as fuel for the upgrading process. This makes it more efficient and economical to set up and operate than competing technologies on the market, resulting in significant cost savings.

Agritrade Resources Limited, an associate company of TSI listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, will build the first GEO-COAL commercial plant at their coal mine, PT Senamas Energindo Mineral (PTSEM), in Tamiang Layang, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia by end June 2011. This will have a capacity of 500,000 metric tonnes per year, providing GEO-COAL products to the industry.