Coal Types and World Reserves Quiz

Fossil Energy - Coal

• Coal is the "dirtiest" of the fossil fuels, with an energy content of 29MJ/kg.
• It is primarily used for electrical power generation, steel and cement industry, direct heating of buildings, and materials production.

Origin and Formation of Coal

• Coal is a brownish-black combustible sedimentary rock, formed from fossilized plant matter.
• It was formed during the Carboniferous period, 300-350 million years ago.

Types of Coal

• There are four main types of coal:
  • Lignite (brown coal): 150M years old, 30% carbon content, lowest energy content.
  • Sub-bituminous: 150M-300M years old, 40% carbon content, higher energy content.
  • Bituminous (black/hard coal): 300M years old, 50-80% carbon content, higher energy content.
  • Anthracite (black/hard coal): 350M years old, >95% carbon content, highest energy content.

World Coal Reserves

• Coal is more widespread globally than oil and gas, with >850bn tonnes of reserves.
• The reserves are split 50/50 between high and low-quality coal.
• Coal is a cheap fuel for energy production, with less complex refining and processing than oil and gas.

Extraction and Uses of Coal

• Coal can be extracted through underground mining or surface mining (strip mining).
• The largest users of coal are the US, China, Russia, India, Germany, and Australia.
• Coal is mainly used for electricity production (68%), with the remaining 32% used for steel production (7%), cement production (5%), and other industries.

Environmental Impacts of Coal

• Coal mining has a huge environmental footprint, including:
  • Landscape alteration and mine tailings from mining.
  • Air pollution and climate change from burning coal.
  • Water pollution from coal washing.
  • Thermal pollution from cooling water.
  • Waste production from power plants, including toxic ash.