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World Wide Coal Usage Set to Increase

China consumes 3.5 times the amount of the coal the US consumes.  This number is likely to increase quickly.  China is opening new coal power plants at a rate of one per week. China ranks third in coal reserves, behind the United States and Russia.  Its coal is low quality, containing sulfur, fly ash and dust.  China plans to blend cleaner burning imported coal with its domestic coal. The blended coal will meet tighter environmental regulations and burn more efficiently than China’s domestic coal because it is of higher quality.  China has gone from the world’s largest exporter of coal to the largest importer.

India having the world’s fourth largest supply of coal is increasing its coal imports to meet the energy demands of its growing economy.  India produces 70% of its electrical power from coal.

China is increasing its conversion of coal to liquid fuels.  India is planning on building its own coal to liquids plant.

In the wake of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant disaster Japan and Germany have stopped almost all power generated by nuclear power plants.  Japan and Germany are generating more coal produced electricity to replace the power previously generated by nuclear power.

Coal is the largest producer of greenhouse gases of all the fossil fuels, as it adds more carbon to the atmosphere per unit of energy than other fossil fuels.   Adoption of biocarbon as a coal replacement would make a significant reduction in mercury and sulphur emissions as well as green house gases.

 

Articles relating to Japan and Germany’s increased reliance on coal due to shutting down of nuclear power plants.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121591/Nuclear-reactor-damaged-Japan-tsunami-fatally-high-radiation-levels.html

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/us-germany-energy-coal-idUKTRE7331BF20110404

 



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