COAL

BY : Snitika Polisetty

DP1 - C
 How is Coal formed?
Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of ancient organisms. As the plant debris
sifted deeper under Earth’s surface, it encountered increased temperatures and
higher pressure. Mud and acidic water prevented the plant matter from coming into
contact with oxygen. Due to this, the plant matter decomposed at a very slow rate
and retained most of its carbon (source of energy). These areas of buried plant
matter are called peat bogs. Peat bogs store massive amounts of carbon many meters
underground. Under the right conditions, peat transforms into coal through a process
called carbonization. Carbonization takes place under incredible heat and pressure.
 Top Coal producers and
consumers
o China

o United States

o India

o Russia

o Australia

o European Union (leading producer: Germany)

 How is Coal used to generate
electricity?
Simply put, coal-fired electricity generation is a five-step process:

o Thermal coal (either black or brown) that has been pulverized to a fine powder is burned

o The resulting heat is used to turn water into steam

o The steam at very high pressure is then used to spin a turbine, connected to an electrical
generator

o The spinning turbine causes large magnets to turn within copper wire coils; this is called
the generator

o The moving magnets cause electrons in the wires to move from one place to another,
creating an electrical current and producing electricity.
 Advantages of using Coal
o It is relatively inexpensive to locate and extract, and can be found all over the world.
o Unlike many renewable resources (such as solar or wind), coal production is not
dependent on the weather.
o It is a baseload fuel, meaning it can be produced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days
a year.
o The coal industry relies on people with a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Jobs associated with coal include geologists, miners, engineers, chemists, geographers,
and executives. Coal is an industry that is critical to countries in both the developed and
developing world – creates job opportunities.
o It can be converted into different formats - Coal can be converted into a gaseous state or
into a liquid and still be used as if it were refined or raw.
 Disadvantages of using Coal
o It is not a renewable resource - At some point, if we are continuously using coal for our power and

energy needs, it will eventually become depleted – finite supply

o 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.

o Even clean coal still has high levels of methane and sulfur.

o 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 air passageway inflammation conditions.

o Coal mines cause relocation and destruction.

 Advancements in technology

Clean coal technologies are needed to utilize coal in an environmentally acceptable

way and to improve coal utilization efficiency:

o The latest generation of pulverized coal plants, incorporating “ultrasupercritical”

boilers capable of operating at extremely high temperatures and pressures, can
achieve efficiencies

o Another advanced coal technology is coal gasification, a process in which coal is

converted to a gas (called syngas) before it is burned, making it easier to separate
CO2 as a relatively pure gas before power is generated.
 Future of the usage of Coal
Worsening air quality, displacement due to land acquisition, forest destruction, impacts of fly ash

disposal and conflicts over water use have triggered protests from local communities against setting

up of coal plants.

Production, generation, and usage of coal leads to an abundance of pollution due to the release of

carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur and methane. The release of sulfur additionally poses a

threat to acid rain.

But the abundance of coal available presently is an advantage of using this energy source. There are

an estimated 1.1 trillion tons of proven coal reserves worldwide. This means that there is enough coal

to last us around 150 years at current rates of production.

 Why is Coal used as an energy
source?
o Cheapest source of energy. It is by far cheaper than nuclear, natural gas, oil. Hydro usually

will be slightly cheaper. But hydro has limitations since every place doesn’t have river.

o Coal generation provides opportunities for many jobs.

o Security of supply: Coal power plants provide stable and large-scale electricity generation. Of

the Earth's fossil fuels, coal is the most abundant and widely dispersed, meaning that supplies

are readily available and not subject to disruption.

o Coal production does not depend on climatic conditions, and it is not a seasonal source of

energy like renewable sources of energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, etc.