US coal-to-liquids project

During 2010, Ambre Energy commissioned a high-level concept study into the production of gasoline from coal in the Powder River Basin, Montana, USA. 

The study concluded that the site investigated was suitable for two equally sized coal-to-liquids trains producing a combined total of 36,000 barrels per day. The investment cost for the first stage of 18,000 barrels per day would be in the order of $US3.5 billion and typical cost efficiencies would apply for the production of the second stage.

Early indications suggest that Montana is an attractive location for a coal-to-liquids project for the following key reasons:
• sufficient coal is available for a large-scale coal-toliquids project 
• the market for unleaded petrol in the US could easily accommodate the quantities of fuel produced 
• multinational fuel retailers have expressed interest in distributing the fuel 
• a CO2 market and pipeline network exists in the US, providing customers for the offtake of CO2.

Ambre Energy will continue to conduct testing on appropriate Powder River Basin coals to confirm suitability for gasification.

Millennium Terminal 
During 2010, Millennium Bulk Terminals-Longview 
(MBTL) was established by Ambre Energy as the 
business entity to acquire a bulk materials terminal on 
the Columbia River at Longview, Washington. MBTL is a 
wholly-owned subsidiary of Ambre Energy. 
It is Ambre Energy’s intention to establish one of the 
few coal export facilities on the west coast of North 
America to provide access to growing Asia-Pacific 
markets for US thermal coal. 
The 416 acre site is a multi-product bulk handling facility 
for commodities such as alumina and cement. It is 
accessible by rail infrastructure and has the potential to 
receive Panamax vessels.
In 2010–11, a significant works program is planned to 
maintain and upgrade existing facilities, and conduct 
necessary environmental remediation work (including 
ongoing clean up of contamination from 60 years of 
aluminium smelting) to meet government requirements.