Economics of the International Coal Trade by Lars Schernikau

Economics of the International Coal Trade by Lars Schernikau

Author:Lars Schernikau
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht


4.5.1 How Much CO2 Stems from Coal?

Before discussing this subject, it is worth pointing out that CO2 is nontoxic; indeed, without it no life would be possible on Earth. However, too much CO2 is a major cause of the well-studied ‘greenhouse effect,’ which in turn leads to problems similar to those experienced in previous climatological ages. The major difference is that this time the change is caused by human behavior. Human development is a part of evolution, and evolution has caused the planet’s climate to change more than once in the five billion years of the Earth’s existence. Evolution brought the human race into existence, and for the first time in the planet’s history a species – the human race – is capable of directly influencing nature. However, this is a philosophical discussion. There is no question that engineers should do everything to avoid the emission of CO2 from coal-fired power plants, but we cannot expect them to be capable of reducing the emissions to zero.

The greenhouse effect is causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise. Scientists estimate that the current temperature increase is the fastest in 20,000 years. The highest known Earth temperature (determined based on analysis of marine sediments) was reached about 55 million years ago. The planet’s most recent ‘warm period’ ended about 115,000 years ago. Cold and warm periods have been alternating for about 2.7 million years. Currently, we are in a warm period that began about 11,500 years ago. Humans, however, are contributing to this warm period in the form of the greenhouse effect caused among other things, by, CO2.

How much CO2 is actually released by burning coal? Burning 100 tons of standard South African steam coal with 6,000 kcal/kg NAR calorific value, 25% volatiles AR, 11% ash AR, 0,7% sulfur AR, and 65% carbon content AR will result in the following by-products:238 tons of CO2;



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