MIT researchers and their Chinese and American collaborators have now estimated how shifting from petroleum to each coal-based fuel would change consumer costs, environmental impacts, and energy efficiency. Their life-cycle analyses included the complete history of each type of fuel and vehicle, from extraction of raw materials through production, use, and disposal. As expected, changing to any of the coal-based fuels would reduce efficiency, increase carbon dioxide emissions, and cost more. Effects on emissions other than carbon dioxide vary from fuel to fuel. This type of comprehensive assessment represents a methodology that can also be used to compare technology options in other fields.
China is the world's largest coal producer.
Yet in recent years this coal-rich nation has had to import petroleum, largely to fuel its rapidly growing transportation sector. Concerned about energy security, Chinese policymakers are now considering ways to use coal in place of petroleum, particularly as an automotive fuel. Processes exist for converting coal into gasoline, methanol, and electricity, any of which can run a car. Unfortunately, no single option is the obvious winner on all fronts. In 1996, the Chinese government initiated a study to clarify and evaluate the costs and benefits associated with the various options.