Shenhua postpones CTL project

Chinese state-owned coal firm Shenhua Group Corp. Ltd. has decided to bring its flagship coal-to-liquids (CTL) project in northwestern China online next year. The original start-up date of commercial operations was supposed to be the second quarter of 2009. The project, with an estimated investment of RMB10 billion (US$1.46 billion), has an initial planned annual output of 1.08 million metric tons of synthetic fuel, or around 20,000 barrels per day (bpd), before eventually ramping up to three million tons a year. Severe winter weather conditions, as well as various technical issues had already delayed its launch, after construction was completed by the end of 2007. (February 27, 2009)