FOSSIL FUELS: COAL
Filip Černoch
ESS411 Environmental aspects of energy
FSS MU
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History of coal usage
 The first known depleted coal mine Fu Shun in China in 1000 BC. 300 BC
Theophrastus described combustion of coal in Greece. Romans used coal in
400BC.
 Coal substituted wood (charcoal) in glass and metal production – first energy
revolution.
 Deforestation of London surroundings in 1200, by 1500 production moved
to Ireland, Scotland, Wales.
 Coal depletition at Newcastle upon Tyne – spreading the mining activities
across the country, new professions emerged.
 1352 coal the very first internationally traded commodity.
 Start of industrial revolution, steam engine, production of steel, coke.
 In navy shift from sails to steam.
 In 1910 coal represented 60% of world energy mix, declining between world
wars.
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Environmental impacts
 Mining (opecast/surface m.) – land use, water and air pollution,
dust. Impact on biotops and landscape. Noise. Aestethical
damages.
 Preparation for further processing – removal of impurities –
acids, heavy metals, chemicals are released.
 Transport – dust from coal, transport-related pollution.
 Workers – exposition to the dust and chemicals, mining risks.
 Coal combustion – GHG, primary pollutants, smog, acid rains.
 Solid waste – ash.
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Combustion of coal
Carbon Carbon reacts with
oxygen, producing
CO2 and CO.
CO2 (Carbon dioxide) – main GHG
CO (Carbon monoxide) – produced when there is not enough oxygen to produce
CO2. Imperfect combustion, mainly in transport (in cities), metalurgical processes,
chemical production, wood combustion at home. Inversion → smog.
Hydrogen H reacts with O
producing wated
Nitrogen N turns to Nitrogen
monoxide NO and
Nitrogen dioide.
NOx – produced by engines, during industrial processes and combustion of fossil
fuels.
Sulphur Turns to Sulphur
dioxide.
SO2 – in oil, coal, metal ores. Produced by combustion of fossil fuels, during oil
refining or in metalurgy. It is a percursor for acid rain and atmospheric particulates.
Oxygen
Other
elements
Nickel, mercury, arsen, chromium, cadmium, lead, florine, chlorine.
Particular matters, PM
Primary – from combustion, directly to atmosphere. Coarse-grained particles.
Secondary – produced in atmosphere from gaseous emissions. Sulphates from SO2
from power plants and industry instalations, nitrates from NOx from power plants,
cars and other combustion processes, soot from organic emission from cars and
industrial instalations
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CO Visual impairment, reduced work capacity, reduced manual dexterity, poor
learning ability, difficulty in performing complex tasks.
S02 Can affect respiratory system and lung functions, aggravation of asthma and chronic
bronchitis, makes people more prone to infections of the respiratory tract; irritation of
eyes; cardiac disease aggravated ; ischemic stroke risk
Nitrogen
monoxide
NO and
Nitrogen
dioxide.
Asthma development (suspected), asthma exacerbation, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, stunted lung development; cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic stroke.
Reacts with VOCs in sunlight to form ground- level ozone
Increases an amount of nitrogen in soil and country – change of diversity. In
aquasystems causes eutrofization. Increases acidity of soil and water.
PM Respiratory: asthma development (suspected), asthma exacerbation, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, stunted lung development (PM2.5), lung cancer;
Cardiovascular: cardiac arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure
(PM2.5).
Nervous system: ischemic stroke.
Secondary pollution
 London smog
 Smoke and fog, typically in winter (combination with inversion). SO2 + PM =
transport of gaseous matters of smog to the lungs.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSlwGIapFJI
 Photochemical smog
 Primary pollutants (NOx + Volatile Organic Compounds created during fossil fuel
combustion) interacts under the influence of sunlight = ozon O3 plus other
pollutants.
 Ozone – bronchial constriction, coughing, wheezing, respiratory irritation, eye
irritation, decreased crop yields, retars plant growth, damages plastics,…
 Directly impacts 30 % of city population, 20 000 premature deaths. .
 Accid rains
 Acidic rains caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide = with water
produce acids.
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Emissions Amount of pollutants (in tons
per 1TWh – 1000MW plant for
1000hrs)
SO2 2600
NOx 2800
CO2 1 200 000
Typical 1000MW coal power plant= 6 million tons
CO2 per year = ekvivalent of 2 million cars. Plus 2
670 000 ton of ash.
Health impacts
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PM in ČR
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Situation in Czech Republic
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Situation in Czech Republic
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Externalities
 A consequence of an economic aktivity that is experienced by
unrelated third parties. An externality can be either positive or
negative.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcPRmh5AIrI
Coase theorem
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Cannot work if:
 there are many affected parties, so it is expensive to coordinate the
necessary contracts for the sale of property rights.
 one person can block the sale, regardless of the costs actually
imposed on them.
 enforcement of the contract can be expensive, such as the costs of
court proceedings if there is a breach of contract.
 the costs of monitoring the offending behavior are high.
Externalities of electricity production
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0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0
Dětmarovice
Počerady
Hodonín
Mělník II
Mělník III
Mělník I
Poříčí
Tisová I, II
Prunéřov I
Prunéřov II
Ledvice
Tušimice II
Chvaletice
Kč/kWh
budovy a materiály zemědělská produkce nemocnost úmrtnost změna klimatu
Source: centrum pro otázky životního prostředí UK
Price of electriity in 2003 – 3-5 kč/kWh
In Kč/kWh for selected energy sources in 2003
Solution of the ´coal problem´?
 Source substitution
 Higher effectivity of coal consumption
 Limitation of coal pollutants
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