WHY COAL | ||||||
Coal is a form of energy that is natural and comes directly from the earth. Coal is an important natural source of energy and was initially developed from plants and vegetative life that has been buried in the earth’s crust many millions of years ago. Coal was once a living material and as such, is known as a fossil fuel, and like other fossil fuels such as natural gas and petroleum, it is carbon based. Because coil is a fossil fuel, it is able to be burned, and this is what creates coal energy. |
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WHAT IS COAL USED FOR? | ||||||
Coal has many important uses worldwide. The most significant uses of coal are in electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel. Around 6.6 billion tonnes of hard coal were used worldwide last year and 1 billion tonnes of brown coal. Since 2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel. The five largest coal users - China, USA, India, Russia and Japan - account for 76% of total global coal use. The biggest market for coal is Asia, which currently accounts for over 67% of global coal consumption; although China is responsible for a significant proportion of this. Many countries do not have natural energy resources sufficient to cover their energy needs, and therefore need to import energy to help meet their requirements. Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea, for example, import significant quantities of steam coal for electricity generation and coking coal for steel production. |
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Peat considered to be a precursor of coal, has industrial importance as a fuel in some regions, for example, Ireland and Finland. In its dehydrated form, peat is a highly effective absorbent for fuel and oil spills on land and water. It is also used as a conditioner for soil to make it more able to retain and slowly release water. | Lignite or brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively as fuel for electric power generation. Jet, a compact form of lignite, is sometimes polished and has been used as an ornamental stone since the Upper Palaeolithic. | |
Whose properties range from those of lignite to those of bituminous coal, is used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation and is an important source of light aromatic hydrocarbons for the chemical synthesis industry. | Is a dense sedimentary rock, usually black, but sometimes dark brown, often with well-defined bands of bright and dull material; it is used primarily as fuel in steam-electric power generation, with substantial quantities used for heat and power applications in manufacturing. | |
Is a grade between bituminous coal and anthracite, once widely used as a fuel for steam locomotives. In this specialized use, it is sometimes known as "sea-coal" in the US. Small steam coal (dry small steam nuts or DSSN) was used as a fuel for domestic water heating. | The highest rank of coal, is a harder, glossy black coal used primarily for residential and commercial space heating. | |
Technically the highest rank, is difficult to ignite and is not commonly used as fuel - it is mostly used in pencils and, when powdered, as a lubricant. |