Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Answers Call for Clean-Coal Technology with Commissioning of Compact Gasification Pilot Plant

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Answers Call for Clean-Coal Technology with
Commissioning of Compact Gasification Pilot Plant

CANOGA PARK, Calif., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to the nation's need
for affordable clean-coal technology, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne today
celebrated the commissioning of a compact gasification pilot plant in Illinois
designed to help lower energy costs, provide a clean alternative fuel source
and strengthen U.S. energy security. The pilot plant is the first step toward
global commercialization of the innovative technology. Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

The commissioning was held at the Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines,
Ill., where the pilot plant for the compact gasifier is located. Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne has teamed with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering (EMRE),
Zero Emission Energy Plants, Ltd. (ZEEP), the Alberta Energy Research
Institute (AERI) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity (DCEO) to develop and commercialize compact gasification, a higher
efficiency and lower cost alternative to current gasification systems.

"The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne gasifier provides a 90 percent decrease in
size compared to competing systems, thereby enabling higher efficiency, and as
much as a 25 percent reduction in cost with enhanced reliability," said Jim
Maser, president, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. "We look forward to leveraging
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's 50 years of engineering experience and working
together with our teams in this initiative to reduce cost and improve
performance of gasification plants worldwide."

Gasification is a process that converts carbon-containing material such as
coal or biomass into synthesis gas (syngas). Syngas can be burned to produce
electricity or further processed to manufacture chemicals, fertilizers, liquid
transportation fuels, synthetic natural gas or hydrogen.

The capital cost to build a commercial-scale compact gasification plant using
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's technology is estimated to be 20 percent less
than conventional gasification plants. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's compact
gasifier is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 10
percent compared to standard gasification technologies. EMRE is sharing
development cost and collaborating with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to develop,
demonstrate and license the technology.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred
provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system
solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications,
including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch
vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of
aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.
United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company
providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and
commercial building industries.

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

Bryan Kidder, +1-818-586-2213, bryan.kidder@pwr.utc.com, or Carri Karuhn,
+1-818-586-4963, carri.karuhn@pwr.utc.com, both of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne