Coal

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Combustible sedimentary rock, Fossil fuel, Nonrenewable energy source

• Main Uses

  Electricity generation, Steel production, Cement manufacturing

• Types by Use

  Thermal coal (steam coal), Metallurgical coal (coking coal)

• Formation Process

  Decomposition of ancient plant matter into peat, converted by heat and pressure over millions of years (coalification)

• Largest Exporters

  Indonesia, Australia, Russia

• Primary Composition

  Carbon (>50% by weight, >70% by volume), Hydrogen, Sulfur, Oxygen, Nitrogen

• Classification/Ranks

  Anthracite, Bituminous, Subbituminous, Lignite, Brown coal

• Environmental Impact

  Largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide emissions, contributes to climate change, causes acid rain, smog, premature death and illness

• Largest Consumer (2020)

  China

• Largest Producer (2020)

  China

• Energy Contribution (2020)

  Approximately 25% of world's primary energy, over 33% of world's electricity

• Second Largest Producer (2020)

  India

• Carbon Dioxide Emissions (2020)

  14 billion tonnes (40% of total fossil fuel emissions, over 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions)

Timeline

• Used for millennia, but usage was limited. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)

  Pre-Industrial Revolution

• Consumption surged with the invention of the steam engine, becoming a major fuel source. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)

  Industrial Revolution

• Global coal use peaked. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)

  2013

• UN Secretary General asked governments to stop building new coal plants. (Source: DBPedia)

  2020

• Target to halve coal use to meet Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 2 °C. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)

  2020-2030

• Phasing out coal was agreed upon in the Glasgow Climate Pact. (Source: DBPedia)

  Post-2020

Web Search Results

• What is coal? | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov

  Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture)consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time. [...] Coal is primarily used as fuel to generate electric power in the United States. In coal-fired power plants, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, or lignite is burned. The heat produced by the combustion of the coal is used to convert water into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine, which produces electricity. In 2019, about 23 percent of all electricity in the United States was generated by... What is coal used for? #### What is coal used for? [...] Coal is primarily used as fuel to generate electric power in the United States. In coal-fired power plants, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, or lignite is burned. The heat produced by the combustion of the coal is used to convert water into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine, which produces electricity. In 2019, about 23 percent of all electricity in the United States was generated by... What is coal used for? #### What is coal used for?

• Coal - Energy Kids: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

  Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons. Coal is classified as a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to form. Coal contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests. Layers of dirt and rock covered the plants over millions of years. The resulting pressure and heat turned the plants into the substance we call coal. [...] Coal is classified into four main types, or ranks: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite. The ranking depends on the types and amounts of carbon the coal contains and on the amount of heat energy the coal can produce. The rank of a coal deposit is determined by the amount of pressure and heat that acted on the plants over time. [...] Coal is an abundant fuel source that is relatively inexpensive to produce and convert to useful energy. However, producing and using coal affects the environment. ## Effects of coal mining

• Coal: Composition, Uses, Figures and Debates - Greenly

  Coal is a naturally occurring combustible rock and fossil fuel. It’s primarily made up of carbon, along with a smaller amount of other elements, mainly: hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen. It’s formed from the remains of vegetation that has been subjected to geological heat and pressure over the course of millions of years. This is what’s known as coalification; it involves the gradual transition of plant matter into peat, which then transforms into coal under increased heat and [...] Coal, often regarded as the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, has played a vital role in powering industrial progress and shaping modern society. Formed from plant matter over millions of years, its main uses include electricity generation, steel production, and cement manufacturing. However, due to its significant environmental impact, there is a growing movement to reduce its use. In recent years, this has led to a global shift towards more sustainable energy sources and an increasing call for [...] The burning of coal - especially in power plants and industrial processes - is a significant source of air pollution. Coal combustion emits sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are primary contributors to the formation of acid rain and ground-level ozone or smog. These pollutants can severely impact human health, ecosystems, and agricultural productivity.

• Coal - Wikipedia

  Coal is a mixture of diverse organic compounds and polymers. Several kinds exist, with variable dark colors and composition. Young coals (brown coal, lignite) are not completely black. The two main black coals are bituminous, which is more abundant, and anthracite. The type of coal with the highest percentage of carbon in its chemical composition is anthracite, followed by bituminous, then lignite, and finally brown coal. The fuel value of coal varies in the same order. Some anthracite deposits [...] For bituminous coal, the elemental composition on a dry, ash-free basis is 84.4% carbon, 5.4% hydrogen, 6.7% oxygen, 1.7% nitrogen, and 1.8% sulfur by weight. This composition partly reflects the composition of the precursor plants. The second main fraction of coal is ash, an undesirable, noncombustable mixture of inorganic minerals. The composition of ash is often discussed in terms of oxides obtained after combustion in air: Ash composition, weight percent [...] There are several international standards for coal. The classification of coal is generally based on the content of volatiles. However the most important distinction is between thermal coal (also known as steam coal), which is burnt to generate electricity via steam; and metallurgical coal (also known as coking coal), which is burnt at high temperature to make steel.

• What is coal used for? | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov

  Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat... Learn More Image 7 [...] Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat... Learn More Image 23 [...] #### What is coal? What is coal? Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat... What is coal? #### What is coal?

• Instance Of

  Q101352

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.Coal is formed when dead plant matter decays into peat and is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years. Vast deposits of coal originate in former wetlands called coal forests that covered much of the Earth's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) and Permian times. However, many significant coal deposits are younger than this and originate from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Coal is used primarily as a fuel. While coal has been known and used for thousands of years, its usage was limited until the Industrial Revolution. With the invention of the steam engine, coal consumption increased. In 2020, coal supplied about a quarter of the world's primary energy and over a third of its electricity. Some iron and steel-making and other industrial processes burn coal. The extraction and use of coal causes premature death and illness. The use of coal damages the environment, and it is the largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide contributing to climate change. Fourteen billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was emitted by burning coal in 2020, which is 40% of the total fossil fuel emissions and over 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. As part of worldwide energy transition, many countries have reduced or eliminated their use of coal power. The UN Secretary General asked governments to stop building new coal plants by 2020. Global coal use peaked in 2013. To meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 2 °C (3.6 °F) coal use needs to halve from 2020 to 2030, and phasing out coal was agreed upon in the Glasgow Climate Pact. The largest consumer and importer of coal in 2020 was China. China accounts for almost half the world's annual coal production, followed by India with about a tenth. Indonesia and Australia export the most, followed by Russia.