Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that occurs in seams. The heat and pressure of deep burial turn dead plant materials into peat, which is eventually changed into coal over millions of years. Coal is used to make iron and steel, as well as in other industrial processes. Coal is largely utilized as a source of energy. Coal usage surged after the introduction of the steam engine. Coal was responsible for nearly a quarter of the world’s primary energy and more than a third of its electricity in 2020.
In India, coal is the most widely available fossil fuel. It meets a bigger proportion of the country’s energy requirements. Coal is a heavy substance that loses weight as it decomposes into ash. As a result, large industries and thermal power plants are built on or near coal fields.
There are several types of coal depending on the degrees of compression, the depth, and the duration of burial during its formation:
- Peat : It is created by the decomposition of plants in marshes. It has a high moisture content, low carbon content, and limited heating capability.
- Lignite :It is a low-quality brown coal. It has a high moisture content and is soft. It is used to generate power. Neyveli in Tamil Nadu has significant lignite deposits.
- Bituminous: This is the most often used coal in industry. The use of high-grade bituminous coal in metallurgy is suitable. It’s particularly useful for melting iron in blast furnaces. It can only be found at deeper depths.
- Anthracite: The highest grade of hard coal. Anthracite is found in areas of the world where massive earth movements, such as the building of mountain ranges, have occurred.
- The Appalachian Mountains, located in the eastern United States, are abundant in anthracite.
Conventional Energy Sources
Conventional sources of Energy or Non-renewable energy sources are finite resources that will deplete over time. Non-renewable energy is defined as energy that does not regenerate itself at a sufficient pace to allow for long-term economic extraction on human timescales. Coal, crude oil, natural gas, and uranium are examples of non-renewable energy sources.
Energy from fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear material, the sun, and wind, are the primary sources of electricity. Energy is a necessary component of economic progress. Wind, sun rays, and flowing water are used to generate power, whereas coal, petroleum, and natural gas are used directly in motor vehicles and equipment. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and other fuel minerals can be used to create energy.
Table of Content
- Conventional Sources of Energy
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Natural Gas
- Electricity
- Non-Conventional source of Energy
A resource is anything that is accessible in our surroundings that may be utilized to meet our requirements. It must be technologically possible, financially viable, and culturally acceptable. Only then can it be called a ‘Resource?’ Minerals, forests, fossil fuels, and other natural resources are examples. Energy resources are any resources that are utilized to create electricity or energy to run industries. We are about to discuss two types of Energy Resources :
1) Conventional Source of Energy 2) Non-Conventional Source of Energy
Contact Us