11-07-08 Synthesis Energy Systems (SES), a global industrial gasification company, and Aker Solutions US Inc., a US based subsidiary of Aker Solutions ASA, announced have entered into an engineering agreement.
"Aker Solutions' expertise in the gasification and chemicals industries is suited to assist with SES' strategy to build, own and operate coal-to-chemicals plants serving the industrial customer segment worldwide," said Tim Vail, SES' President and CEO. "Drawing on Aker Solutions' global footprint and vast engineering capabilities will strengthen our internal staff and provide access to resources for SES to capitalize on the demand for the continued development of U-GAS(R) projects."

Glyn Rodgers, president of Aker Solutions US, commented, "The addition of Aker Solutions' specialist talent and resources will assist SES' ongoing objective to develop and build projects on time and within budget. We look forward to working with SES at the forefront of the coal gasification industry."
SES is an energy and technology company that builds, owns and operates coal gasification plants that utilize its proprietary U-GAS(R) fluidized bed gasification technology to convert low rank coal and coal wastes into higher value energy products, such as transportation fuel and ammonia. The U-GAS(R) technology, which SES licenses from the Gas Technology Institute, gasifies coal without many of the harmful emissions normally associated with coal combustion plants.

The primary advantages of U-GAS(R) relative to other gasification technologies are
(a) greater fuel flexibility provided by our ability to use all ranks of coal (including low rank, high ash and high moisture coals, which are significantly cheaper than higher grade coals), many coal waste products and biomass feed stocks; and
(b) our ability to operate efficiently on a smaller scale, which enables us to construct plants more quickly, at a lower capital cost, and, in many cases, in closer proximity to coal sources.
SES currently has offices in Houston, Texas and Shanghai, China.

Aker Solutions ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. Aker Solutions' business serves several industries, including oil and gas, refining and chemicals, mining and metals and power generation.