01 How It Works
Coal is pulverized and burned in boilers to produce steam, which drives turbines and generators. Pulverized coal plants, supercritical plants (higher pressure/temperature = better efficiency), and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) are the main technologies. Coal also supplies ~70% of global steel production via coking coal. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is proposed to reduce emissions but remains costly and unproven at scale.
02 Pros & Cons
โ Advantages
- Abundant reserves
- Low fuel cost
- Reliable baseload
- Established infrastructure
โ ๏ธ Disadvantages
- Highest COโ per kWh
- Air pollution (NOโ, SOโ, particulates)
- Mining hazards
- Water-intensive
03 Future Outlook
Coal is projected to decline sharply under climate scenarios. The EU, UK, and many OECD nations have set phase-out dates. However, developing nations in Asia are still expanding coal capacity for energy access reasons. "Ultra-supercritical" plants and CCS may extend coal's role, but economics increasingly favour renewables even in coal-heavy markets.
04 Fun Fact
Coal provided 57% of global electricity as recently as 1990. That share has fallen to ~36% and is declining.