SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply for purposes of § 48B and this notice:

.01 Coal . Section 48B(c)(6) defines the term “coal” as meaning anthracite, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, lignite, and peat. Coal includes waste coal (that is, usable material that is a byproduct of the previous processing of anthracite, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, lignite, or peat). Examples of waste coal include fine coal of any of the listed ranks, coal of any of the listed ranks obtained from a refuse bank or slurry dam, anthracite culm, bituminous gob, and lignite waste.

.02 Eligible entity . Section 48B(c)(7) defines “eligible entity” as meaning any person whose application for certification is principally intended for use in a domestic project that employs domestic gasification applications related to chemicals, fertilizers, glass, steel, petroleum

residues, forest products, agriculture (including feedlots and dairy operations), and transportation grade liquid fuels. For purposes of § 48B, a qualifying gasification project is carried out by an eligible entity if the project supplies more than 50 percent of the thermal output in British thermal units (“Btu”) from the gasification process in the form of synthesis gas for direct use or subsequent chemical or physical conversion in an application related to one or more of the industries listed in § 48B(c)(7) or if more than 50 percent of the fuel input in Btu to the gasification process is supplied from one or more of the industries listed in § 48B(c)(7).

.03 Total synthesis gas capacity . The total synthesis gas capacity of a project is the total MMBtu (one million Btu) per hour of the synthesis gas (higher heating value (HHV)) at the gasifier outlet of the project. The synthesis gas must be composed primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen for direct use or subsequent chemical or physical conversion.

.04 Fuel Input . (1) In general . The term “fuel input” means, with respect to any type of fuel, the amount of such fuel used during normal plant operations. The amounts of the fuel used are measured (i) in Btu on an energy input basis and (ii) pursuant to applicable standards prescribed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (“ASTM”). For example, § 48B(d)(3)(D) provides that the fuels identified in § 48B(c)(2) will at all times cumulatively comprise at least 90 percent of the total fuels (fuels identified in § 48B(c)(2) and any other fuel input) required by the project. This requirement is satisfied if, after completion and during normal plant operations, the fuels identified in § 48B(c)(2) will cumulatively comprise at least 90 percent of the project’s total fuels measured in Btu on an energy input basis and pursuant to applicable ASTM standards.

(2) Only normal plant operations taken into account . Only fuel used during normal plant operations is taken into account for purposes of § 48B. Normal plant operations are operations other than during periods of initial plant certification, plant startup, plant shutdown, interconnected gasifier(s) shutdown for gasification system maintenance, or interruptions of the supply of fuels identified in § 48B(c)(2) to the project resulting from an event of

2009–16 I.R.B. 803 April 20, 2009

force majeure (including an act of God, war, strike, or other similar event beyond the control of the taxpayer). For example, the fuel input during the initial plant certification may consist entirely of natural gas or other fuels not identified in § 48B(c)(2) because fuel used during initial plant certification is disregarded in determining whether the requirement of § 48B(d)(3)(D) to use 90 percent of the fuels identified in § 48B(c)(2) is satisfied.

.05 Placed In Service . For purposes of § 48B, property is placed in service in the taxable year in which the property is placed in a condition or state of readiness and availability for a specifically assigned function. See § 1.46–3(d)(1)(ii) of the Income Tax Regulations. Thus, a qualifying gasification project or eligible property (as defined in § 48B(c)(3)) that is a part of the project is placed in service in the taxable year in which the project is placed in a condition or state of readiness and availability for producing synthesis gas from the feedstocks identified in § 48B(c)(2).

.06 Separation and Sequestration . The term “separation and sequestration” refers to the separation and capture of a project’s CO emissions, and the placement of the 2 captured CO into a repository in which 2 the CO will remain permanently se2 questered.