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<br />("'" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />r..... <br /> <br />- 2 - <br /> <br />C. . <br />\~ <br />.-4 <br />( ,.) <br />c.) <br /> <br />A few years ago, W. R. Grace & Co. began to research the transportation problem <br />to assist in marketing its own coal resources in Northwest Colorado. We've <br />looked at conventional methods and evaluated new ones. We've studied engineer- <br />ing and environmental limitations, and we've analyzed the costs of several <br />transportation alternatives. <br /> <br />These incl ude new rail roads--we' ve actually bui 1t a 17 -mil e segment for our <br />Colowyo Mine near Craig, Colorado. <br /> <br />But, the alternatives also include new technologies like coal slurry pipelines. <br />We're now involved in studies of carbon dioxide and methanol to use as slurry <br />mediums, instead of water. We're even working on our own synthetic fuels plant <br />to manufacture methanol from coal. <br /> <br />But,the most exciting new concept of all is the AQUATRAIN system. It is a pipe- <br />line system, but it isn't a slurry. The coal never touches the water. It's <br />contained in plastic capsules that are propelled through the pipeline by flowing <br />water....saline water. The density of the coal capsules is adjusted to match <br />the saline water, so they don't sink or float....they're actually weightless in <br />the pipeline. <br /> <br />Although the Aquatrain system may at first appear similar to a slurry pipeline, <br />the resemblance is deceiving. AQUATRAIN has several significant advantages over <br />a slurry system. <br /> <br />First, the coal stays separated from the water. It never gets wet and therefore <br />doesn't need separation or drying at its destination. And, it stays clean, uncon- <br />taminated by salts or other materials in the water. <br /> <br />Second, there's no coal wasted. Up to 5% of the coal moved by water slurry lines <br />is lost because it can't be economically separated from the water. <br /> <br />Third, because there is no loose coal to settle out and clog the line, the system <br />can be stopped and started at will--and it can move any amount of coal, from one <br />capsule up to its designed maximum capacity of 10-15 million tons per year. <br /> <br />But, the major disadvantage of water slurry lines is their large requirement for <br />water....slurry lines need about a ton of water to move a ton of coal. The arid <br />West has no fresh water to spare and proposed slurry lines have met with strong <br />