Methods of producing coal and fertilizers from fermentation residues

An energy efficient method for processing a fermentation residue into a synthetic coal and aqueous liquid solution products, the method and the synthetic coal and aqueous liquid solution products produced thereby, comprising:

• heating the fermentation residue in water to a temperature equal to or less than 225 degrees centigrade and equal to or greater than 180 degrees centigrade for a period of time equal to or less than four hours and equal to or greater than 0.5 hours in a confined system, so that the energy used for the entire processing of the fermentation residue is equal to or less than 500 BTU's per pound of dry weight of the initial fermentation residue starting material for producing the synthetic coal and the aqueous liquid solution, separating the synthetic coal from the aqueous liquid solution, and the synthetic coal having a BTU content of at least 10,000 BTUs per pound of dry weight thereof.