Gas was first produced and supplied from coal over 200 years ago in London and next month engineers from around the world will gather in Rotterdam, The Netherlands to celebrate the anniversary, as well as new gasification technology at the New Horizons in Gasification, 12th European Gasification Conference.
“The Gas Light and Coke Company 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,” the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) said in a statement.
“Once developed, the technology soon spread across the world with gasworks established in Baltimore, USA (1816), Manchester, UK (1817), Hannover, Germany (1825) and Rotterdam, The Netherlands (1827).
“Over two centuries later, gasification continues to be an important part of the world’s energy supply. It has endured despite the emergence of alternative sources of energy, lighting and heating and evolved to support industry including fertilizer production.
“Today, gasification provides around a quarter of the world’s supply of synthetic ammonia and about one third of the world’s methanol. 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.” – Chris Higman of Higman Consulting GmbH and gasification specialist
