News

GreatPoint Energy, a Massachusetts-based advanced energy start-up, will build a plant in Western China that converts coal into synthetic natural gas. GreatPoint's patented technology uses a one-step process to convert coal into natural gas. The price of natural gas recently plummeted in the US, leading GeatPoint to look for global opportunities for its product. The Boston Globe reports:

“I would say [the deal] demonstrates the global reach of the Massachusetts energy industry,’’ said Richard Lester, founding director of MIT’s Industrial Performance Center, which studies technological developments in various industries. “It is also another indication of the growing importance of energy to the US-China relationship, and of the key role played by Massachusetts energy technology companies in that relationship.’’