The book tells the story of the coal gasification technology from its early days 230 years ago to the present. So, coal gasification technology became relevant again during the transition of energy production to cleaner sources, in an effort to fight climate change.

Introduction.- Early Energy and Industrial Development.- Coal and Steam Engine.- The Search for an Alternative Lighting.- Early Chemistry and Coal Gas Making.- Coal Gas - the Inflammable “Air”.- Gases and their Chemistry.- The Era of Gas Lighting.- Coal Gas - the Illuminating Gas.- Coal Gas Making Business Chemistry, Skills and Coal Gas Making.- Coal Gas Making Process.- Lessons Learned.- Spreading of Coal Gas Lighting.- The Changing Chemistry in Coal Gas Making.- Unlocking the Power of Gas Producer.- Heat, Motion, Caloric, Electricity and their Connection.- Regenerative Furnace and Metallurgy.- Unleash the Heating Power.- The Enabling Gas Producer and its Chemistry.- Producer Gas and Regenerative Retort.- The Alternative Illuminating Gas.- Coal Gas, Ballooning and Lowe.- Lowe Process for Coal Gas Making.- Deployment of the Lowe Coal Gas Process.- Vertical Retort, Producer Gas and Water Gas.- Gas Engine and Gas Producer.- External Combustion vs Internal Combustion.- Coal Gas and GasEngine.- Dowson Gas Producer.- Fertilizer and Coal Gas Making.- Ludwig Mond.- An Unintended Gas Producer.- Mond Gas, Fuel cell and Nickel.- Mond Gas, Industrial Gas and Electricity.- Chemistry and Industrial Synthesis.-Molecular Theory.- Fundamentals of Coal Gasification.- Water Gas and Industrial Synthesis.- Hydrogen Manufacturing and Ammonia Synthesis.- Liquefaction and Fractioning.- Syngas Conditioning and Purification.- Hydrogen Making at Oppau.- Reinventing the Making of Coal Gas.- Slagging Gasification.- The Winkler Gasifier.- Creative Making of Syngas.- Special and Integrated Gasification.- Solution to Gasifying Coal Fines.- Modern Gasification Technology.- The Lurgi Gasifier.- The Search for a Complete Gasification.- Entrained Gasification.- The Long Journey of Energy Transition.- End Notes.- Bibliography

The book tells the story of the coal gasification technology from its early days 230 years ago to the present. Before the end of WWII, gasification had been extensively used to produce both fuel gas and gaseous feedstock from coal. But things have changed when natural gas became readily available, and coal gasification received little attention, especially in recent years when the trend is to move away from fossil energy. 

Compared to conventional coal combustion, gasification-based processes for power production typically result in much lower emissions of pollutants. So, coal gasification technology became relevant again during the transition of energy production to cleaner sources, in an effort to fight climate change. Taking another look at gasification technology to better understand its potential benefits including carbon capture and management and use the process, seems to make sense during the challenging time of the transition of energy production. Professionals and policy makers in the energy field will benefit from this writing.