Why Coal?

As energy demand grows, coal will be an important part of the nations’ abundant and affordable resources. Coal will remain the largest single source of electricity—accounting for more than half of the nation’s power generation in 2030. Moreover, 97% of the coal consumed in this country is from domestic mining.

The United States has one of the highest concentrations of coal reserves in the world – truly an abundance of coal. Despite those reserves, coal’s price is becoming more sensitive to foreign-demand pressures and events occurring beyond our borders. The U.S. is becoming a major coal exporter, resulting in declining domestic supply. 39% of the world’s electricity is currently generated by coal power plants and 135 new power plants are currently in development worldwide.

Coal – An Environmentally Sound Fuel

As energy demand grows, Coal will be an important part of the nations’ , abundant and affordable resources. Coal Technologies have resulted in more than 20 new, lower-cost, more efficient and environmentally compatible technologies for electric utilities, steel mills, cement plants and other industries. Coal will remain the largest single source of electricity—accounting for more than half of the nation’s power generation in 2025. Coal technologies will help meet these needs, plus continue the decline in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions already underway.

Coal Washing Facility

In order to reduce ash sulfur emissions and increase the heating value of coal making it more economical for transportation, coal is sent through coal washing facilities to separate coal from soil and rock. This higher heating value increases the market value of the coal per ton while making it more attractive for power generators. Coal reduces the burden of retrofitting post combustions control equipment, thus increasing the life of power generating assets.

Coal – An Economic and Energy Solution

The crude oil and natural gas the United States imports accounts for a significant share of America's rising energy and defense expenditures. Instead of importing energy, the United States has the opportunity to take control of the nation’s future by tapping into its’ abundant coal reserves. By furthering coal to liquid technology research, the United States can reduce energy imports and rely on coal to provide affordable energy and fuels for transportation.

Coal Gasification

Coal gasification offers one of the most versatile and clean ways to convert coal into electricity, hydrogen, and other valuable energy products. Rather than burning coal directly, gasification (a thermo-chemical process) breaks down coal - or virtually any carbon-based feedstock - into its basic chemical constituents. The environmental benefits of gasification stem from the capability to achieve extremely low sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions from burning coal-derived gases. It may be one of the best ways to produce clean-burning hydrogen for tomorrow's automobiles and power-generating fuel cells.

Coal to Diesel

Technically, coal to diesel is accomplished by a catalyst that removes hydrogen from the molecules. The beauty of the new process is that it is highly selective in which hydrogen atoms it removes from the hydrocarbons, channeling the reactions to produce specific, useful products. The diesel formed by the new catalysts does not include aromatics, so it burns much cleaner, overcoming one of the major objections to diesel fuel. This could lead to more vehicles using diesel engines, which are about 30 percent more efficient than gasoline engines.

Coal By-Products

Coal by-products will play a major role in a coal-fired power plant economics and are slowly picking up demand. Major coal by-products include fly ash, sludge and slag which can be used for strengthening for construction materials, providing nutrients to plants to enhance depleted soils for agricultural purposes and for reducing greenhouse gas. By using fly ash for cement production industrial companies can avoid the process of heating a fossil fuel to provide extreme heat, thus preventing carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

Coal – Fuel for the Future

With the United States coal deposits containing more energy than that of all the world's oil reserves, this economic fuel source will likely continue to be an important source of electricity generation as oil and natural gas prices continue to rise. Currently, coal has the lowest energy costs per million British thermal units (BTUs), while crude oil and natural gas cost four times the amount. Coal products also hold great potential and may soon be contributing to communications and transportation system advancement, computer networks and even space expeditions.

As the nation continues to integrate new ways to utilize coal powered energy and coal products, research and technology will continue to enhance our ability to identify untapped coal reserves and improve the effects of the production and use of coal on the environment.