Introduction of

Coal

Coal, is one of the most important primary fossil fuels, is a solid carbon-rich material that is
usually brown or black and most often occurs in stratified sedimentary deposits. Coal is defined
as having more than 50 percent by weight carbonaceous matter produced by the compaction
and hardening of altered plant remains—namely, peat deposits. Different varieties of coal arise
because of differences in the kinds of plant material, degree of coalification, and range of
impurities

History of coal
The discovery of the use of fire helped to distinguish humans from other animals. Early fuels
were primarily wood, straw, and dried dung. References to the early uses of coal are too small
in amount Coal was used commercially by the Chinese long before it was used in Europe.
Although no authentic record is available, coal from the Fushun mine in northeastern China may
have been employed to smelt copper as early as 1000 BCE. Stones used as fuel were said to
have been produced in China during the Han dynasty.

Composition of coal
Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen,
and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dead plant matter decays into peat and is converted into coal
by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years.

Types of coal
There are four major types(or “ranks”) of coal. Rank refers to steps in a slow, natural process
called “coalification,” during which buried plant matter changes into an ever denser, drier, more
carbon-rich, and harder material. The four ranks or the four types are:

● Anthracite
● Bituminous
● Subbituminous
● Lignite
● Peat(Peat is not coal, but can eventually transform into coal under the right
circumstances)
Process of formation of coal
The process that creates coal varies slightly in different areas depending on the plants and
conditions that are present, but the overall process is similar. There are two main phases in coal
formation: peatification and coalification. Bacterial activity is the main process that creates the
peat during peatification. Increasing temperature and pressure from burial are the main factors
in coalification.
Production of coal in India
India is the second largest producer of coal in the world, after China. The production of coal was
730.87 million metric tons in 2019–20, a growth of 0.30% over the previous year. India produced
12 per cent more coal in the first half of the current financial year, compared to the same period
last year. The 2021 output is nearly six per cent more than the pre-pandemic year of 2019-
20.The production of lignite was 42.10 million metric tons in 2018–19, a decrease of 4.92% over
the previous fiscal. Production of coal and lignite grew by a compound annual growth rate of
3.58% and 1.23% respectively over the last 10 years.

There were 36 coal washeries in India as on 31 March 2020 with a total installed capacity of
143.44 million tonnes per year.

Coal production in India, 1950–2012

Abundance of coal in India

India has the fourth largest coal reserves in the world. As of March 2020, India had 344 billion
metric tons of the resource. The known reserves of coal rose 5.37% over the previous year, with
the discovery of an estimated 17.5 billion metric tons.The estimated total reserves of lignite coal
as of March 2020 were 46 billion metric tons,an increase of 0.57% from the previous year. Coal
deposits are primarily found in eastern and south-central India. Jharkhand, Odisha, and
Chhattisgarh accounted for almost 70% of the total known coal reserves in India.

The energy derived from coal in India is about twice that of the energy derived from oil, whereas
worldwide, energy derived from coal is about 30% less than energy derived from oil.

The following table shows the estimated coal reserves in India by state as of 31 March 2020.

State Coal Reserves (in billion Types of

metric tonnes) Coalfield

Jharkhand 85.602 Gondwana

Odisha 84.652 Gondwana

Chhattisgarh 69.432 Gondwana

West Bengal 32.937 Gondwana

Madhya Pradesh 29.285 Gondwana

Telangana 22.225 Gondwana

Maharashtra 12.728 Gondwana

Andhra Pradesh 1.607 Gondwana

Bihar 2.751 Gondwana

Uttar Pradesh 1.062 Gondwana

Meghalaya 0.576 Tertiary

Assam 0.525 Tertiary

Nagaland 0.446 Tertiary

Sikkim 0.101 Gondwana

Arunachal Pradesh 0.09 Tertiary

India 344.02

Uses of coal
Coal is seemingly the cheapest and most essential source of energy. Here is a list of all the
major uses of coal.

Generating Electricity
Coal is generally used in thermal power generation which further helps in the production of
electricity. Powdered coal is burnt at high temperature which further turns water into steam. This
steam is used to turn turbines at high speed in a strong magnetic field. After this, electricity is
finally generated.

Production of Steel
Coal is a very important resource when it comes to producing steel. In the steel industry, coal is
used indirectly to make steel. Meanwhile, ammonia gas is usually recovered from coke ovens
and this is used to manufacture nitric acid, ammonia salts and fertilizers.

Industries
Coal is used by many industries to produce or make certain products. Some of the popular
industries which make use of coal are the cement industry, paper and aluminium industry,
chemical and pharma industry amongst others.

Gasification and Liquefaction

Coal can be turned into a synthetic gas which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
These gases are an intermediate product that can be further converted into different products.
Coal can also be turned into liquid known as synthetic fuels.

Domestic Use
In cold regions and in developing or underdeveloped countries coal is still used as fuel for
cooking and a source of heat.

Advantages and Disadvantages of coal

Here are the Advantages of Coal:

1. It is available in an abundant supply.

Industrialized countries, including the United States, India, China, and Russia, have a large
amount of coal that is available to them. Some estimates have the US holding enough coal that
has already been mined to fuel current resources for the next 400 years. Which means we have
access to this fuel in abundance, allowing societies to focus on other infrastructure needs.

2. It has a high load factor.

Using coal as a fuel provides a society with the potential for continuous power. It also provides a
high load factor, giving us access to an efficient and predictable level of energy through
combustion.

3. Coal offers a rather low capital investment.

Many of our fuel and power generation technologies are already designed to use coal. This
limits the amount of a capital investment which is required to create a new societal resource,
especially when compared to nuclear energy resources.
4. Carbon capture and storage technologies can reduce potential emissions.
Safe capture and storage of carbon dioxide, referred to as CCS, is a technology that would
capture and store the carbon dioxide which is produced by combusting this fossil fuel. This limits
the amount of potential global warming that would be triggered by an increase of coal use.

Here are the Disadvantage of coal:

1. It is not a renewable resource.

At some point, if we are continuously using coal for our power and energy needs, it will
eventually be exhausted. As a fossil fuel, there is a limited supply, but at some point, there must
be a backup plan in place that can be implemented.

2. Coal contains a high level of carbon dioxide per British Thermal Unit.
When compared with all forms of energy and power production that we use today, coal contains
the most carbon dioxide for every BTU that is produced.

3. Coal power can create high levels of radiation.

A byproduct of burning coal for power, called “coal ash,” produces radiation. This ash then
settles around the surrounding areas of the coal plant. Coal combustion can also produce
mercury, nitrous oxide, heavy metals, and other potential environmental dangers.

4. Coal emissions are linked to health concerns.

People who are exposed to coal and its emissions have an increased risk of experiencing
asthma and other problems like that. Breathing in coal dust is also known to be a cause for lung
cancer development over time. A coal mining disease called “Black Lung'' can impact total lung
capacity, is incurable, and is often fatal.