3 years
The amount of coal used each day can vary widely based on factors such as the size of the power plant, its efficiency, and the electricity demand. On average, a coal-fired power plant might consume thousands of tons of coal per day to generate electricity.
China burns approximately 4 billion metric tons of coal each year, accounting for about half of the world’s total coal consumption. This heavy reliance on coal has significant implications for air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change.
Coal is formed when plant material from ancient times becomes fossilized. The material becomes buried by sediments, so that oxygen is excluded and it doesn't rot. As the sediments build up the plant material is subjected to increasing pressure and may be heated. All this causes the carbon compounds making it up to change, largely to hydrocarbons and carbon. The fossilization process is quite random. The initial plant material can vary, though often it was tree ferns from the carboniferous era, around 300 million years ago. Another important factor is how old the coal deposits are. The older they are, in general the greater the proportion of compounds which are converted to carbon. This tends to make hard, black coals such as anthracite which burn relatively cleanly.
PROS: electricity, that's about it..CONS:Coal plants are the nation's top source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the primary cause of global warming. In 2011, utility coal plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO21. A typical coal plant generates 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year2.Burning coal is also a leading cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Some emissions can be significantly reduced with readily available pollution controls, but most U.S. coal plants have not installed these technologies.Sulfur dioxide (SO2): Coal plants are the United States' leading source of SO2 pollution, which takes a major toll on public health, including by contributing to the formation of small acidic particulates that can penetrate into human lungs and be absorbed by the bloodstream. SO2 also causes acid rain, which damages crops, forests, and soils, and acidifies lakes and streams. A typical uncontrolled coal plant emits 14,100 tons of SO2 per year. A typical coal plant with emissions controls, including flue gas desulfurization (smokestack scrubbers), emits 7,000 tons of SO2 per year.Nitrogen oxides (NOx): NOx pollution causes ground level ozone, or smog, which can burn lung tissue, exacerbate asthma, and make people more susceptible to chronic respiratory diseases. A typical uncontrolled coal plant emits 10,300 tons of NOx per year. A typical coal plant with emissions controls, including selective catalytic reduction technology, emits 3,300 tons of NOx per year.Particulate matter: Particulate matter (also referred to as soot or fly ash) can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, as well as haze obstructing visibility. A typical uncontrolled plan emits 500 tons of small airborne particles each year. Baghouses installed inside coal plant smokestacks can capture as much as 99 percent of the particulates.Mercury: Coal plants are responsible for more than half of the U.S. human-caused emissions of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that causes brain damage and heart problems. Just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat. A typical uncontrolled coal plants emits approximately 170 pounds of mercury each year. Activated carbon injection technology can reduce mercury emissions by up to 90 percent when combined with baghouses. ACI technology is currently found on just 8 percent of the U.S. coal fleet.Other harmful pollutants emitted annually from a typical, uncontrolled coal plant include approximately:114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium. Baghouses can reduce heavy metal emissions by up to 90 percent3.720 tons of carbon monoxide, which causes headaches and places additional stress on people with heart disease.220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
When wood is burnt, it undergoes a combustion reaction and primarily produces carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash. The amount of each component produced depends on the efficiency of the burning process.
The number of wind turbines required to match the output of a coal plant depends on several factors, including the capacity of both the coal plant and the individual wind turbines. For example, a typical coal plant might have a capacity of around 500 megawatts (MW), while modern wind turbines can range from 1.5 to 3 MW each. Generally, it takes about 2 to 3 wind turbines to produce the same amount of energy as a single megawatt of coal power, meaning that a coal plant would require approximately 200 to 300 wind turbines to match its output, assuming optimal wind conditions.
The amount of coal used each day can vary widely based on factors such as the size of the power plant, its efficiency, and the electricity demand. On average, a coal-fired power plant might consume thousands of tons of coal per day to generate electricity.
China burns approximately 4 billion metric tons of coal each year, accounting for about half of the world’s total coal consumption. This heavy reliance on coal has significant implications for air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change.
Coal is formed when plant material from ancient times becomes fossilized. The material becomes buried by sediments, so that oxygen is excluded and it doesn't rot. As the sediments build up the plant material is subjected to increasing pressure and may be heated. All this causes the carbon compounds making it up to change, largely to hydrocarbons and carbon. The fossilization process is quite random. The initial plant material can vary, though often it was tree ferns from the carboniferous era, around 300 million years ago. Another important factor is how old the coal deposits are. The older they are, in general the greater the proportion of compounds which are converted to carbon. This tends to make hard, black coals such as anthracite which burn relatively cleanly.
Coal forms from the remains of ancient plants that have been buried and subjected to high pressure and heat over millions of years. As the plant material decomposes and undergoes chemical changes, it transforms into peat, then lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, and finally anthracite coal, with each stage containing less moisture and more carbon.
PROS: electricity, that's about it..CONS:Coal plants are the nation's top source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the primary cause of global warming. In 2011, utility coal plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO21. A typical coal plant generates 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year2.Burning coal is also a leading cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Some emissions can be significantly reduced with readily available pollution controls, but most U.S. coal plants have not installed these technologies.Sulfur dioxide (SO2): Coal plants are the United States' leading source of SO2 pollution, which takes a major toll on public health, including by contributing to the formation of small acidic particulates that can penetrate into human lungs and be absorbed by the bloodstream. SO2 also causes acid rain, which damages crops, forests, and soils, and acidifies lakes and streams. A typical uncontrolled coal plant emits 14,100 tons of SO2 per year. A typical coal plant with emissions controls, including flue gas desulfurization (smokestack scrubbers), emits 7,000 tons of SO2 per year.Nitrogen oxides (NOx): NOx pollution causes ground level ozone, or smog, which can burn lung tissue, exacerbate asthma, and make people more susceptible to chronic respiratory diseases. A typical uncontrolled coal plant emits 10,300 tons of NOx per year. A typical coal plant with emissions controls, including selective catalytic reduction technology, emits 3,300 tons of NOx per year.Particulate matter: Particulate matter (also referred to as soot or fly ash) can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, as well as haze obstructing visibility. A typical uncontrolled plan emits 500 tons of small airborne particles each year. Baghouses installed inside coal plant smokestacks can capture as much as 99 percent of the particulates.Mercury: Coal plants are responsible for more than half of the U.S. human-caused emissions of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that causes brain damage and heart problems. Just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat. A typical uncontrolled coal plants emits approximately 170 pounds of mercury each year. Activated carbon injection technology can reduce mercury emissions by up to 90 percent when combined with baghouses. ACI technology is currently found on just 8 percent of the U.S. coal fleet.Other harmful pollutants emitted annually from a typical, uncontrolled coal plant include approximately:114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium. Baghouses can reduce heavy metal emissions by up to 90 percent3.720 tons of carbon monoxide, which causes headaches and places additional stress on people with heart disease.220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
When wood is burnt, it undergoes a combustion reaction and primarily produces carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash. The amount of each component produced depends on the efficiency of the burning process.
Scrubbers in coal burning plants can remove millions of tons of ash each year from smokestacks, depending on the size and capacity of the plant. The precise amount removed varies by facility.
Coal is formed through a process called coalification, where layers of plant material are buried and compressed over millions of years. The plant material is first transformed into peat through decay, then undergoes further compaction and heating to form lignite, then into sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, and finally anthracite with increasing pressure and heat. Each layer represents a different stage in the coalification process, resulting in different types of coal.
The amount of megawatts produced by a biomass facility each year can vary depending on the size and efficiency of the plant. A typical biomass power plant can generate anywhere from 20 to 300 megawatts annually.
Diamonds are not made out of coal. They both contain carbon, but diamonds are formed deep within the Earth's mantle under high pressure and temperature, while coal forms from the decomposition of plant material near the Earth's surface.
Carbonado, not coal, is one of the types of carbon that can turn into a diamond due to high pressure and temperature in the Earth's mantle. Coal, which is primarily made of plant material, undergoes a different process to form under different conditions.