At the invitation of Governor Li Xiaopeng, a JHCGA delegation attended the International Low-Carbon Development Summit, which was held in Shanxi in September 2015. During the visit, the JHCGA delegation toured the Lu’an Coal to Liquids demonstration plant (video below), in Changzhi, Shanxi province, generates power as well as converts coal from the coal gasification process, thereby reducing total carbon dioxide emissions from the amount of coal consumed.  It also captures the remaining carbon dioxide.  This technology is an example of the massive level of investment China is putting into coal technologies.  

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The  four representatives attending the Summit included David Wendt, JHCGA President; Olivia Meigs, JHCGA Director  of Communications; Ben Yamagata, Executive Director, Coal Utilization Research Center; and Leigh Paterson, reporter, Inside Energy.  Dr. Wendt was among national and international presenters at the day-long conference.  His speech was entitled, “Wyoming and Shanxi: A Clean Energy Partnership.” The purpose of the visit was to understand Shanxi’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from coal consumption and to explore opportunities for cooperation between Wyoming and Shanxi as the two largest coal-producing states/provinces in their respective countries.  

During the week, members to the delegation also met with numerous provincial government agencies and conducted discussions and site visits at several large energy producing facilities and enterprises.  In the course of these visits, they learned how Shanxi is organizing its transition to a low-carbon development economy, as seen through large-scale projects in combined heat and power, coalmine methane utilization, and coal conversion.  They also explored several project opportunities involving cooperation between Shanxi and Wyoming to capture and develop new uses for carbon dioxide.