Coal Based Energy

COAL-BASED ENERGY Solid Fuel
WHAT IS COAL?
Coal is a black or brown-black fuel sedimentary rock composed mainly of carbon and
hydrocarbons. It is a non-renewable source of energy, since it takes millions of years to
create. Coal plays a vital role in the generation of electricity throughout the world.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COAL
 Color  Chemical Composition
Although coal is more associated with black, coal can The primary chemical found in coal is carbon,
vary in color from silver to green. The color of coal is specifically in older coals. Old coals feature the highest
usually related to its specific forms, which in turn are amount of carbons. Younger coals, however, feature
trace chemical elements of hydrogen, sulfur, nitrogen
related to the way coal is made. and even oxygen.
 Texture  Forms
It’s commonly thought that coal is like a rock when in The youngest form of coal is peat. Peat is essentially
actually, coal can be quite brittle and, in some cases, the vegetative and soil matter that, if compressed for
even spongy. The texture of coal typically reflects its millions of years, would eventually produce coal.
age. Lignite and sub-bituminous coal are the second and
third youngest coals, respectively. Bituminous, steam
coal and anthracite form the next grouping of coal,
ordered from youngest to oldest. And finally, graphite
is the oldest form of coal.
HOW COAL GENERATES ENERGY
AVAILABILITY OF COAL
The Philippines has a vast potential for coal resources that only await full
exploration and development to help achieve the country's energy self-sufficiency
program. As of December 31, 2015, our on-site coal reserves amount to 470 million
metric tons or 19.7% of the country's total coal resource potential of 2.39 trillion
metric tons.
The recent upward development in the coal industry encouraged greater interest in
coal exploration. There are 30 coal operating contracts in the development and
production phase, 48 coal operating contracts in the exploration phase and 83 small-
scale coal mining operators as of July 2016.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION
Generating Electricity - Coal is generally used in thermal power generation which further helps to
produce electricity.
Production of Steel - Coal is used indirectly to make steel. It is baked in furnaces to form coal coke.
Once this is formed, manufacturers use coal coke to smelt iron ore into iron and make steel.
Industries - Many industries use coal to manufacture certain products. Coal is mostly used as a
source of energy is most of the industries
Gasification and Liquefaction - Coal can be turned into synthetic gas which a mixture of carbon
monoxide and hydrogen. These gases are an intermediate product that can be further converted
into different products like urea, methanol, pure hydrogen and more. Coal can also be turned into
liquid known as synthetic fuels.
Specialist Products - Coal is also an essential ingredient in the production of specialist products
such as activated carbons, carbon fiber and silicon metals.
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 & DISADVANTAGES
Reliability - Coal’s ability to supply power during peak  Greenhouse gas emissions - Coal leaves behind
power demand either as base power or as off-peak harmful byproducts upon combustion. These byproducts
power is greatly valued as a power plant fuel. cause a lot of pollution and contribute to global warming.
Affordability - Coal-Based energy is cheaper and more  Mining destruction - Mining of coal not only results in
affordable than other energy sources. Moreover, it is not the destruction of habitat and scenery, but it also
expensive to extract and mine from coal deposits. displaces humans as well. Places near coal mines are
unsafe for human habitation as the land could cave in at
 Abundance - There are approximately over 300 years anytime.
of economic coal deposits still accessible. With the
abundance of coal, they can be used continuously in  Generation of millions of tons of waste. - Millions of
many years to come. tons of waste products which can no longer be reused are
generated from coal fired plants.
 Known technologies - The production and use of coal
as a fuel are well understood, and the technology  Emission of harmful substances - Thermal plants like
required in producing it is constantly advancing. coal fired plants emit harmful substances to the
environment.
 Safety - Generally, coal fired plants are considered
safer than nuclear power plants. Additionally, the welfare
and productivity of coal industry employees has greatly
improved over the years.
SOURCES
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/learners/energy/readings/coal.pdf
https://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-coal/coal-electricity
https://www.worldcoal.org/sustainable-societies/coal-key-economies
file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/report.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advantages-disadvantages-coal-fired-power-plants-boiler-sun-
jinfang?fbclid=IwAR0TC8KojER_SLtO7UXJK6ox-5uEtbbI-onDWipqPt7ledtnNRBr4w0KHKs
https://byjus.com/chemistry/uses-of-
coal/?fbclid=IwAR2HGjVxYj_gNwkY1wMVO_g0aZgpdL7mczNevHnmG39c9CnyyU6oSIqjMeg
https://careertrend.com/info-8794613-characteristics-
coal.html?fbclid=IwAR0XVhDH2Agz8mDI8acvduyEfJYgvaDOPVw0584R3Vew_qwQ3sV974a_jSE
https://www.doe.gov.ph/coal-overview

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COAL-BASED ENERGY Solid Fuel

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