Coal is the largest source of energy for the generation of electricity worldwide. Coal is extracted from the ground by coal mining. Since 1983 the world top coal producer has been China. In 2011 China produced 3,520 millions of tons of coal – 49.5% of 7,695 millions tones world coal production. In 2011 other large producers were United States (993 millions tones), India (589), European Union (576) and Australia (416). In 2010 the largest exporters were Australia with 328 million tons (27.1% of world coal export) and Indonesia with 316 million tons (26.1%), while the largest importers were Japan with 207 million tons (17.5% of world coal import), China with 195 million tons (16.6%) and South Korea with 126 million tons (10.7%).
Peat, Lignite, Sub-bituminous coal, Bituminous coal , Steam ,Anthracite and Graphite are different types of coal.
There are different uses of coal worldwide now days. Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion. World coal consumption was about 7.25 billion tonnes in 2010 and is expected to increase 48% to 9.05 billion tonnes by 2030. China produced 3.47 billion tones in 2011. India produced about 578 million tonnes in 2011. 68.7% of China's electricity comes from coal. The USA consumed about 13% of the world total in 2010
At least 40% of the world's electricity comes from coal, and in 2012, about one-third of the United States' electricity came from
The total known deposits recoverable by current technologies, including highly polluting, low-energy content types of coal (i.e., lignite, bituminous), is sufficient for many years. However, consumption is increasing and maximal production could be reached within decades.
coking coal is used in making steel using the conventional route. Petroleum coke is the solid residue obtained in oil refining, which resembles coke, but contains too many impurities to be useful in metallurgical applications.
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. This technology is currently used by the Sasol chemical company of South Africa to make motor vehicle fuels from coal and natural gas.
Coal can also be converted into synthetic fuels equivalent to gasoline or diesel by several different processes. Refined coal is the product of a coal-upgrading technology that removes moisture and certain pollutants from lower-rank coals such as sub-bituminous and lignite (brown) coals. Coal is used extensively as feedstock to produce chemicals using processes which require substantial quantities of water. As of 2013 much of the coal to chemical production was in the People's Republic of China.
Coal is one of the backstop resources that could limit escalation of oil prices and mitigate the effects of transportation energy shortage that will occur under peak oil. This is contingent on liquefaction production capacity becoming large enough to satiate the very large and growing demand for petroleum. Estimates of the cost of producing liquid fuels from coal suggest that domestic U.S. production of fuel from coal becomes cost-competitive with oil priced at around $35 per barrel, with the $35 being the break-even cost. With oil prices as low as around $40 per barrel in the U.S. as of December 2008, liquid coal lost some of its economic allure in the U.S., but will probably be re-vitalized, similar to oil sand projects, with an oil price around $70 per barrel.
In China, due to an increasing need for liquid energy in the transportation sector, coal liquefaction projects were given high priority even during periods of oil prices below $40 per barrel. This is probably because China prefers not to be dependent on foreign oil, instead utilizing its enormous domestic coal reserves. As oil prices were increasing during the first half of 2009, the coal liquefaction projects in China were again boosted, and these projects are profitable with an oil barrel price of $40.
China is by far the largest producer of coal in the world. It has now become the world's largest energy consumer but relies on coal to supply about 70% of its energy needs. An estimated 5 million people work in China's coal-mining industry.
In short energy demand has been growing at a remarkable rate into the 21st century, where most of the demand is being fulfilled by conventional fossil fuels. With high oil prices, Coal is the most important energy source for electricity generation and also forms an essential fuel for the production of steel and cement.
Peat, Lignite, Sub-bituminous coal, Bituminous coal , Steam ,Anthracite and Graphite are different types of coal.
There are different uses of coal worldwide now days. Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion. World coal consumption was about 7.25 billion tonnes in 2010 and is expected to increase 48% to 9.05 billion tonnes by 2030. China produced 3.47 billion tones in 2011. India produced about 578 million tonnes in 2011. 68.7% of China's electricity comes from coal. The USA consumed about 13% of the world total in 2010
At least 40% of the world's electricity comes from coal, and in 2012, about one-third of the United States' electricity came from
The total known deposits recoverable by current technologies, including highly polluting, low-energy content types of coal (i.e., lignite, bituminous), is sufficient for many years. However, consumption is increasing and maximal production could be reached within decades.
coking coal is used in making steel using the conventional route. Petroleum coke is the solid residue obtained in oil refining, which resembles coke, but contains too many impurities to be useful in metallurgical applications.
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. This technology is currently used by the Sasol chemical company of South Africa to make motor vehicle fuels from coal and natural gas.
Coal can also be converted into synthetic fuels equivalent to gasoline or diesel by several different processes. Refined coal is the product of a coal-upgrading technology that removes moisture and certain pollutants from lower-rank coals such as sub-bituminous and lignite (brown) coals. Coal is used extensively as feedstock to produce chemicals using processes which require substantial quantities of water. As of 2013 much of the coal to chemical production was in the People's Republic of China.
Coal is one of the backstop resources that could limit escalation of oil prices and mitigate the effects of transportation energy shortage that will occur under peak oil. This is contingent on liquefaction production capacity becoming large enough to satiate the very large and growing demand for petroleum. Estimates of the cost of producing liquid fuels from coal suggest that domestic U.S. production of fuel from coal becomes cost-competitive with oil priced at around $35 per barrel, with the $35 being the break-even cost. With oil prices as low as around $40 per barrel in the U.S. as of December 2008, liquid coal lost some of its economic allure in the U.S., but will probably be re-vitalized, similar to oil sand projects, with an oil price around $70 per barrel.
In China, due to an increasing need for liquid energy in the transportation sector, coal liquefaction projects were given high priority even during periods of oil prices below $40 per barrel. This is probably because China prefers not to be dependent on foreign oil, instead utilizing its enormous domestic coal reserves. As oil prices were increasing during the first half of 2009, the coal liquefaction projects in China were again boosted, and these projects are profitable with an oil barrel price of $40.
China is by far the largest producer of coal in the world. It has now become the world's largest energy consumer but relies on coal to supply about 70% of its energy needs. An estimated 5 million people work in China's coal-mining industry.
In short energy demand has been growing at a remarkable rate into the 21st century, where most of the demand is being fulfilled by conventional fossil fuels. With high oil prices, Coal is the most important energy source for electricity generation and also forms an essential fuel for the production of steel and cement.