Kirsten Holte and Kara Sautner

Economic advantages of using coal… Inexpensive Comparatively inexpensive due to large reserves and easy accessibility Very large amounts of electricity can be generated in one place using coal, fairly cheaply.

Good availability Widely and easily distributed all over the world Societal advantages of using coal…

Easily combustible, and produces high energy upon combustion helping in locomotion and in the generation of electricity and various other forms of energy A fossil-fuelled power station can be built almost anywhere, so long as you can get large quantities of fuel to it. Most coal fired power stations have dedicated rail links to supply the coal. Ecological advantages of using coal…

Ecological disadvantages of using coal… It is Nonrenewable and fast depleting Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, that had been stored in the earth for millions of years, contributing to global warming. A coal plant generates about 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year; this is one of the main causes of global warming. It leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion, and causes acid rain. Also, involves cutting many trees down. It ruins the natural habitats of animals.

Economical Disadvantages of using coal… High coal transportation costs, especially for countries with no coal resources and hence will require special harbors for coal import and storage. Prices for all fossil fuels are rising, especially if the real cost of their carbon is included. Coal storage cost is high especially if required to have enough stock for few years to assure power production availability.

Societal disadvantages of using coal… Coal power puts the lives of the people who dig the coal in danger, and it gives them poor lung quality. Cultivating coal is a very dangerous job, many men and women die each year in coal mine related failures and accidents A coal plant also creates 720 tons of carbon monoxide; which causes headaches and place additional stress on people with heart disease. A 500-megawatt coal- fired plant draws about 2.2 billion gallons of water from nearby bodies of water. This is enough water to support approximately 250,000 people.

The percent efficiency of the Keephills 3 coal plant is 31%, and the energy output is 450 MW. The formula to find the energy input is… Energy input = Energy output Percent Efficiency / MW 31 / 100 = = MW

Sustainability is the management of renewable resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs. Sustainable resources… Are efficient Conserve energy Are renewable Produce little pollution Energy can be made more sustainable by… Fluidised Bed Combustion The higher heat exchanger efficiencies and better mixing of FBC systems allows them to operate at lower temperatures than conventional PCC systems. Supercritical & Ultrasupercritical Boilers The new PCC system which utilizes this technology operates at increasingly higher temperatures and pressure therefore achieving higher efficiencies than conventional PCCs. Intergrated Gasification Combined Cycle IGCC plants use a gasifier to convert coal to syngas which drives a combined cycle turbine to produce electricity.