what are benefits of coal

^{List of Advantages of Coal}

1. Primary energy source. Coal supplies around 30% of the primary energy needs all over the world, generating 40% of electricity.
2. Coal mining jobs. According to EIA, there are an estimated 600 coal generating facilities, 1,100 manufacturing facilities, and 52 coal mines in the United States alone.
3. Inexpensive energy source. If you think your energy bill is high, think about how much more expensive it will be if coal is non-existent.
4. Plenty of applications. As already mentioned, coal is very versatile, not just for electricity generation. Even its by-products have amazing uses.
Independent of the weather. The only time that coal mining may be halted is when the site is declared dangerous or inoperable. ...
Reduce dependence on oil. In President Obama’s address entitled “Energy Security Can Only Come If We Invest in Cleaner Fuels and Greater Efficiency”, he emphasized on energy security, which ...

Full Answer

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using coal?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal Energy. Coal energy is an affordable energy source because of the coal’s stable price compared to other fuel sources. Coal is easy to burn. Coal produces high energy upon combustion. Coal energy is inexpensive. Coal is abundant. Coal energy is a reliable energy source.

What are the pros and cons of coal?

Pros: Coal power plants can be built anywhere in the world. Pros: Coal is also very versatile, it can be burn and it can be transformed into liquid or gas. Cons: Produce large amount of pollution, the dirtiest source of electricity comes from coal according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Cons: Coal burning produce acid rain and release carbon dioxide which cause global warming.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of coal energy?

Advantages Coal can be found in lots of places in the world and there is still plenty in the UK. Coal can be easily transported to the power stations. Coal is a relatively cheap energy source. Disdvantages To dig up coal, we have to create mines which can be dangerous and not very nice to look at. Transporting coal by lorry and train from the mine to the power station causes pollution.

What are good things about coal?

• Cheapest source of energy. ...
• Coal also provides a stable source of energy (no Arab oil embargoes, no sudden scarcity like you experience with natural gas) and there is a very plentiful supply both in ...
• Coal is nothing more than ancient wood which has been under pressure for millions of years. ...
• Coal provides many jobs. ...
• Coal is American made. ...

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What are advantages of coal?

It's a reliable fuel — compared to solar power or wind energy, coal is a reliable, predictable and dependable fuel. While it may not be at the forefront of national energy production, it can provide in invaluable backup service, and a highly reliable fuel for house stoves. compact coal storage unit.

What are the pros and benefits of coal?

Coal has three primary advantages compared to other fuel sources, both non-renewable and renewable: abundance, affordability and low capital expense needed to build coal-powered generation plants.

How does coal benefit the environment?

Environment Impact Coal-fired power plants can reduce CO2 emissions by capturing the gas and injecting it into deep geological formations for storage. Mining also produces methane gas, which has a much greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide.

What are 5 advantages and 5 disadvantages of coal?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal EnergyWhat is Coal?Various Uses of Coal. Generation of Electricity. Industry Use. Gasification and Liquefaction. ... Advantages of Using Coal Energy. Coal is Cheaper than Other Fossil Fuels. Easy To Store. ... Disadvantages of Using Coal Energy. It is Nonrenewable. Harmful to Health.

What is coal advantages and disadvantages?

Coal is a relatively cheap energy source. To dig up coal, we have to create mines which can be dangerous and not very nice to look at. Transporting coal by lorry and train from the mine to the power station causes pollution. Burning coal produces polluting gases like sulphur dioxide which make acid rain.

How does coal benefit the economy?

Coal is essential to the U.S. economy, providing affordable electricity to households, businesses, manufacturing facilities, transportation and communications systems, and services throughout our economy.

Is coal clean energy?

Coal-fired electricity generation is cleaner than ever. NETL's research shows that a new coal plant with pollution controls reduces nitrogen oxides by 83 percent, sulfur dioxide by 98 percent, and particulate matter by 99.8 percent compared to plants without controls.

How does coal give us energy?

Coal-fired plants produce electricity by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam. The steam produced, under tremendous pressure, flows into a turbine, which spins a generator to create electricity.

What are some fun facts about coal?

Coal: Fast Facts About CoalTotal demand for U.S. coal reached 1.05 billion tons in 2010.33% of U.S. electricity is generated from coal.9 out of every 10 tons of coal mined each year in the U.S. is used for domestic electricity generation.Each person in the U.S. uses 3.4 tons of coal annually.More items...

Is coal expensive to use?

Of all the fossil-fuel sources, coal is the least expensive for its energy content and is a major factor in the cost of electricity in the United States.

What are 3 disadvantages of using coal?

Disadvantages of Coal: 10 Reasons Why Coal is Terrible for the EnvironmentMining coal is incredibly destructive to the environment.Coal is actually radioactive.Burning coal emits harmful substances.Coal generates carbon emissions.Coal mining and combustion contributes to climate change.More items...•

What are the advantages and disadvantages of coal?

14 Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal. The 2016 US Presidential Election brought coal back into the spotlight of public consciousness. The world has been shifting toward cleaner energies, such as wind and solar, but there has also been an emphasis in recent years to create “clean coal.”. Coal is a fossil fuel, extracted through mining, ...

Why is coal used as a fuel?

Using coal as a fuel provides a society with the potential for continuous power. Many infrastructures are specifically designed to use coal, offering a good utilization rate for this fossil fuel. It also provides a high load factor, giving us access to an efficient and predictable level of energy through combustion.

What is the safe capture and storage of CO2?

Safe capture and storage of carbon dioxide, referred to as CCS, is a technology that would capture and store the carbon dioxide that is produced by combusting this fossil fuel. Scrubbers and filters can also capture the CO2 before it is able to get into the atmosphere.

How much coal is there in the world?

The global reserves for coal are estimated to be quite large. The current global reserve for coal is estimated to be about 1 trillion tons. This means we have another 200 years of coal usage at current consumption levels above and beyond what our current stockpiles can currently provide.

How does coal affect radiation?

Coal power can create high levels of radiation. A byproduct of burning coal for power, called “ coal ash,” produces radiation. This ash then settles around the surrounding areas of the coal plant. According to Scientific American, a coal power plant can produce up to 100 times more radiation than a nuclear power plant.

Is coal bad for the environment?

Coal combustion can also produce mercury, nitrous oxide, heavy metals, and other potential environmental dangers. 4. Coal emissions are linked to health concerns. People who are exposed to coal and its emissions have an increased risk of experiencing asthma and other air passageway inflammation conditions.

Which countries have coal?

Industrialized countries, including the United States, India, China, and Russia, have a large amount of coal that is available to them. Some estimates have the US holding enough coal that has already been mined to fuel current resources for the next 400 years.

What is coal used for?

What is used to generate power is known as a steam coal or thermal coal, while the coking coal or metallurgical coal is used mainly in producing steel. If coal mining were to stop, a lot of industries will be affected, including paper manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms, and alumina refineries.

What are some examples of uses for coal?

As already mentioned, coal is very versatile, not just for electricity generation. Even its by-products have amazing uses. Refined coal tar, for example, is used to produce phenol, creosote oil, naphthalene and other chemicals. Aspirin, soap, dyes and fabrics also make use of coal’s by-products.

Why is acid rain caused by coal?

Although there are a lot of causes of acid rain, burning coal is a major contributor because it releases sulfur dioxide, and acid rain has higher than normal amounts of sulfuric and nitric acid.

How long ago was coal formed?

It is composed mainly of carbon oxygen and hydrogen, making it a primary source of energy. Coal formation began 360 million to 290 million years ago, a period that yielded a wide variety of coal, which is why the quality of coal deposits are determined by the length of time that they have been formed and how deeply they are buried.

What are some of the products that use coal?

Aspirin, soap, dyes and fabrics also make use of coal’s by-products. Coal itself is also used on specialist products, including activated carbon that is used to manufacture water filters, air purifiers and kidney dialysis machines. Carbon fiber and silicon metal also use coal as an essential ingredient.

How does underground mining affect the health of miners?

Underground mining, after all, is prone to cave-ins and explosions. But the real risk is on the miners’ health and those of the people living close to the dig areas.

What materials use coal?

Carbon fiber and silicon metal also use coal as an essential ingredient. Everyone who knows the purpose of such materials knows just how important the role coal plays. Shampoos and toothpaste would not be the same without them. 5. Independent of the weather.

Coal is a cost-effective solution

Coal is one of the most affordable sources of energy available to us, and it’s a much more cost-effective solution than other options such as nuclear, oil, and natural gas.

Coal is reliable

Coal can be burned 24 hours a day, seven days a week to produce energy fit for sustaining the needs of our modern society. It is predictable, pragmatic, and reliable, which is not the case with alternative solutions such as solar or wind.

Coal provides thousands of American jobs

The coal industry is responsible for providing tens of thousands of jobs to hard-working Americans. This is due to the fact that there are numerous jobs in the areas of coal removal, transportation, burning, and disposal.

Using coal as an energy source has little environmental impact

Coal gets a bad rap, but few know that this resource can be mined and burned with little environmental impact, especially considering the recent improvements in environmental responsibility and the arising clean coal technologies.

Coal is an abundant resource

According to recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the demonstrated reserve base (DRB) of coal contains approximately 475 billion short tons, with over 253 billion of these deemed recoverable. Over one-fourth of the world’s supply of known coal reserves are located in the United States.

Final thoughts

Coal has been fueling American lives since the onset of the Industrial Revolution and continues to be a major staple in energy production to this day.

What are the effects of coal mining?

These mining operations remove the soil and rock above coal deposits, or seams. The largest surface mines in the United States are in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, where coal deposits are close to ...

How can CO2 be used to reduce the environmental impact of coal mining?

The CO2 can then be injected underground for permanent storage, or sequestration. Reuse and recycling can also reduce the environmental effects of coal production and use. Land that was previously used for coal mining can be reclaimed and used for airports, landfills, and golf courses.

How to reduce mercury emissions from coal?

Research is underway to address emissions of carbon dioxide from coal combustion. One method is carbon capture, which separates CO2 from emissions sources and recovers it in a concentrated stream.

Why is methane vented out of mines?

This coalbed methane must be vented out of mines to make mines safer places to work. In 2018, methane emissions from coal mining and abandoned coal mines accounted for about 11% of total U.S. methane emissions and about 1% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (based on global warming potential). Some mines capture and use or sell ...

What laws require that coal mining be controlled?

U.S. laws require that dust and water runoff from areas affected by coal mining operations must be controlled, and the area must be reclaimed close to its original condition.

Where are coal mines located?

The largest surface mines in the United States are in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, where coal deposits are close to the surface and are up to 70 feet thick. Mountaintop removal and valley fill mining has affected large areas of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Kentucky. In this form of coal extraction, ...

Is mountaintop mining harmful to wildlife?

The water draining from these filled valleys may contain pollutants that can harm aquatic wildlife downstream. Although mountaintop mining has existed since the 1970s, its use became more widespread and controversial beginning in the 1990s.

What is the main use of coal in the United States?

Although coal use was once common in the industrial, transportation, residential, and commercial sectors, today the main use of coal in the United States is to generate electricity. The electric power sector has accounted for the majority of U.S. coal consumption since 1961.

How does coal power work?

Coal-fired power plants burn coal to make steam and the steam turns turbines (machines for generating rotary mechanical power) to generate electricity. Many industries and businesses have their own power plants, and some use coal to generate electricity for their own use and mostly in combined heat and power plants.

How much coal will be consumed in 2020?

In 2020, about 477 million short tons (MMst) of coal were consumed in the United States. On an energy content basis, this amount was equal to about 9.2 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) and to about 10% of total U.S. energy consumption.

What industries use coal?

Many industries use coal and coal byproducts. The concrete and paper industries burn large amounts of coal to produce heat. The steel industry uses coal indirectly as coal coke to smelt iron ore into iron to make steel. The high temperatures created by burning coal coke give steel the strength and flexibility needed for bridges, buildings, and automobiles.

Can you use coal to make electricity?

Syngas produced from coal can also be used to produce electricity and hydrogen. Currently, no commercially operating facilities in the United States produce liquids from coal, but coal has been converted to liquids in South Africa for decades. 1 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.3 and Table 6.2, ...