COAL ENERGY

COAL IS BIG!  42% of electricity comes from coal in the USA  70% of electricity in China comes from coal  580 coal fueled power plants in the US  550,000 jobs  Mined in 25 states  $49 natural gas per mega watt hour, coal $33 per megawatt hour 

WE HAVE A LOT  USA has ¼ of the world’s supply  272 billion tons in reserves  only use about 1.1 billion tons per year  Oil and Coal reserves have equal energy potential

HISTORY  Evidence of Coal in extinct civilizations  Romans (2 nd,3 rd centuary)  Hopi Indians (1300)  1736  A few coal mines appear on the border of WV and MD  1748  First commercial coal mine in Richmond, Virginia  Used to manufacture shot, shell, and other war material during the Revolutionary War.

HISTORY CONT.  Pre 1830 uses-  Heat homes  Heat salt brines  To light streets such as in Baltimore  To make glass  1830  Tom Thumb is created  First locomotive increases demand for coal

HISTORY CONT.  1875  Coke replaces wood and charcoal in fueling furnaces  Early 1900’s  Coke is supplying 100,000 coke ovens  Mostly WV and PA

HISTORY CONT.  1882  Edison builds the first coal-fired electric generating station  1901  General Electric Company builds the first alternating current power plant  1961  Coal is the major source of electricity for utilities  1970  Coal production is 520 million tons  1990  Coal production is One billion tons

MINING TECHNIQUES  If the coal is close to the surface  Surface Mining  If the coal is too far underground  Underground Mining

SURFACE MINING

UNDERGROUND MINING

UNDERGROUND MINES 

WHY WOULDN’T WE USE IT?

BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT  Contains the most CO2 per BTU  Environment suffers around a coal mine  Coal ash is hazardous  2 nd highest emitter of methane  Burning coal releases NOx and SOx  Burning releases Mercury

IMPRACTICAL  Non-renewable  High cost of transporting coal to centralized power plants  Dangerous to mine

CLEAN COAL  1980’s-Now  USA has invested 3 billion dollars  Washing  Washes chunks of coal to remove impurities  Organic sulfur stays  Scrubbing  flue gas desulfurization units  Limestone absorbs sulfur

CLEAN COAL CONT.  Process of burning “Clean Coal”   1970 to 2011  major pollutants have been reduced about 90% per unit of electricity created

SAFETY IN THE MINES  Benxihu Colliery  April 26, 1942  1,549 dead  Coal-dust explosion

DANGERS  Coal dust explosion  Burns victims  Traps victims  Blasting Related Accidents  Too close to a blast site  Diseases  Black lung

PREVENTING  Training  Need a license to blast  Simulations  Learn about health and safety  Technology Standard  Radio communication devices, safety lamps  Exploitation Infrastructure  Fire alarm, gas management, miners rescue, ventilation, etc.

CONCLUSION  Not considered enough  Domestic  Abundant  Cheap