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“power Resources” Coal
The progress of any country depends upon the power resources provided by nature. The power resources not only fulfil the electricity requirement of the country but also play an important role in the industrial development of the country. Energy can be obtained from various sources, e.g. fuels, water, wind and sunlight. These are either renewable or non-renewable energy resources.
formation • Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable quantities of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen. A fossil fuel, coal forms when dead plant matter is converted into peat, which in turn is converted into lignite, then sub-bituminous coal, after that bituminous coal, and lastly anthracite. This involves biological and geological processes that take place over a long period. This process is called "coalification."
Location/Deposits Coal is extracted from the ground by coal mining, either underground by shaft mining, or at ground level by open pit mining extraction. The location of deposits and their amount are shown in the table below:
Uses/benefits Coal is used primarily as an energy source, either for heat or electricity. It was once heavily used to heat homes and power locomotives and factories. Bituminous coal is also used to produce coke for making steel and other industrial process heating. Coal gasification and coal liquefaction (coal-to-liquids) are also possible uses of coal for producing synthetic fuel.
Uses/benefits • Coal is advantageous because it is cheap compared to other sources of energy such as oil. • 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. • Different types of coal have different uses. Steam coal - also known as thermal coal - is mainly used in power generation. Coking coal - also known as metallurgical coal - is mainly used in steel production.
Uses/benefits Coal is also an essential ingredient in the production of specialist products:
How can coal be developed? Coal gasification can be used to produce syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) gas. This syngas can then be converted into transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, through the Fischer-Tropsch process. Alternatively, the hydrogen obtained from gasification can be used for various purposes, such as powering a hydrogen economy, making ammonia, or upgrading fossil fuels. Coal will also play a major role as a complement to renewable energy sources. It will be one of the key sources of energy to address gaps in wind and solar powered electricity, both of which include risks of intermittent supply.
