Chemical Engineers Recognize 200 Years of Commercial Gas Production From Coal

Feb. 27, 2014
Engineering professionals will celebrate the milestone at the 12th European Gasification Conference.

The first commercial operation to produce and supply gas from coal began in London about 200 years ago. Chemical engineers will meet March 10-13 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to celebrate this milestone at the 12th European Gasification Conference.

The Gas Light and Coke Co. began supplying London with gas manufactured from coal for street lighting on New Year’s Eve, 1813. It marked the start of the first commercial gas production and supply operation in the world. Up to 8 million people in London alone would eventually rely on the technology to light and heat their homes for over a century.

“Today, gasification provides around a quarter of the world’s supply of synthetic ammonia and about one third of the world’s methanol,” said Chris Higman of Higman Consulting GmbH. “With an estimated 750 gasifiers planned or under construction across the world the technology is set to play a major part for at least another century.”

Higman will be present “200 Years of Commercial Gas Production” in March at the conference.

For more information, visit www.icheme.org.

Sponsored Recommendations

Many facilities handle dangerous processes and products on a daily basis. Keeping everything under control demands well-trained people working with the best equipment.
Enhance the training experience and increase retention by training hands-on in Emerson's Interactive Plant Environment. Build skills here so you have them where and when it matters...
See how Rosemount™ 625IR Fixed Gas Detector helps keep workers safe with ultra-fast response times to detect hydrocarbon gases before they can create dangerous situations.
The Micro Motion 4700 Coriolis Transmitter offers a compact C1D1 (Zone 1) housing. Bluetooth and Smart Meter Verification are available.