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Show Aquatrain project studies alternatives The Aquatrain Project, a concept of liverting saline water to a pipeline to arry coal in plastic capsules to the West toast, is being broadened to include ither technology options, it was announc-id announc-id by Clifford Barrett, Upper Colorado iegional director for the Bureau of leclamation. One such alternative vould involve the concept of a single )ipeline that will move coalliquid car-ion car-ion dioxide slurry and saline water on an ilternating basis. The project is being developed as a oint venture between the Department of he Interior, represented by Reclama-.ion's Reclama-.ion's Upper Colorado Regional offices in salt Lake City and Denver; and quatrain, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary sub-sidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. "The quatrain Project is a viable and iynamic concept," said Barrett, "with new proposals and technologies con-:inually con-:inually being considered. The use of liquid li-quid carbon dioxide is the latest new op-lion op-lion to be considered." Ira E. McKeever, president of quatrain, Inc., discussed the new possibilities Dec. 15 at the Colorado River Water Users Association Convention Conven-tion in Las Vegas, and stressed that the project is receiving proposals from other :oal companies, private utilities, commodity com-modity transportation entities, construction construc-tion companies, financial organizations, and others interested in being a part of the development of the $2 billion plus project. McKeever, who recently returned from a trip to Japan to discuss the project, pro-ject, indicated widespread interest among Japanese trading companies, steel mills and utilities. In addition, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted McKeever's report on Aquatrain to the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates general in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. On Nov. 2, Aquatrain, Inc., and Reclamation signed a Cooperative Agreement to study the Aquatrain concept con-cept and its various applications. As stated in the agreement both "agree in principle to jointly conduct the Aquatrain Project studies" to determine the economic, environmental, and technical viability of the concept. Both are interested in-terested in having others join them to undertake the design, construction and financing of the project. One of Aquatrain, Inc.'s respon- sibilities under the agreement is to take the lead role in assessing coal transportation transpor-tation technology. Arthur D. Little, Inc., of Cambridge, Mass, has been working on coalliquid C02 slurry technology since 1977. Since 1980, W.R. Grace and Arthur D. Little have been jointly developing this technology. Recently they announced the formation of a partnership called Carbon Dioxide Slurry System to commercialize this technology. A pilot plan on coalliquid coalli-quid C02 slurry technology at Little's facilities has become operational recently recent-ly and has confirmed laboratory projections; projec-tions; in some areas, expectations were exceeded. While private industry's interests are in the reduction of the coal transportation transporta-tion costs and reduced power costs to the consumer, Barrett emphasized that the value of the project for the Bureau of Reclamation and the seven Colorado River Basin States continue to be in the reduction of saline water flowing into the Colorado River. Barrett and McKeever indicated that moving saline water to a point of use in a common product pipeline with liquid carbon dioxide and coal may offer the promise of meeting both objectives in a most cost-effective manner than the capsule. |