Is coal an energy of the past or of the future?

Résumé du document

Coal is today one of the most important energy sources of the world, second only to oil. But the use of coal raises several issues. First there's the issue of energy supply. In a globalized world with mass production, the energy supply must be abundant and the energy must be as cheap as possible to keep costs down. Can coal be a competitive energy and continue to fuel economic growth as it allowed the industrial revolution in Great Britain at the turn of the 19th century ? But economic aspects are not the only approach to energy policy; energy production raises environmental and social issues as well.

How do the different energy sources compare in terms of pollution, contribution to global warming? Are all these energy sources as safe to produce for the workers involved? As we enter an era of sustainable development, the energy of the future must meet different expectations and not only economic ones. Therefore can we consider coal an energy of the future, that can both contributes to economic prosperity and respect the environment and populations?

Extraits

[...] Therefore, the question is to shape coal into an energy of the future, one we can use without jeopardizing the future of the planet. Although the existing leads to produce clean coal energy still raise many issues, one must hope that scientific research will bring new answers to balance this impossible equation between the need for abundant energy and the dangers of global warming. Bibliography : International Energy Agency Key world energy statistics 2013, http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/KeyWorld2013.pd f Amouroux, J.M Charbon : les métamorphoses d'une industrie. [...]

[...] Coal emits 800g CO2/Kwh whereas gas only emits 400[18]. So here we see that coal, as it is used today, is a hazard to the future and cannot go on. As it is, coal isn't energy of the future”. Technical improvements towards “clean coal” More efficient plants So that coal can take its place in a sustainable energy mix, some improvements must occur. First of all, to increase efficiency would decrease the total amount of coal processed and therefore would generate less emissions[20]. [...]

[...] But also a thriving energy in the 21st century world A flourishing market Since 2000, the demand of coal has gained 24 There is a real coal dynamism since the turn of the millennium and the end of the “dash for gas”. This dynamism can of course be explained by the growth of energy demand : the world population has a daily growth of 250000[8] human beings and the level of life is also on the rise. Indeed the IEA expects the energy consumption to have gained by 2030[9]. The rise of the coal is therefore bound to follow the rise in demand. Moreover, it seems that a coal market has emerged from the former bilateral agreement situation. [...]

[...] With this progress, coal energy could become cleaner and yet cheaper. Further improvements : carbon emissions But the increase of coal plants efficiency will not be enough to curb the rise of emission considering the major increase in coal demand that is happening. Steps are currently being taken toward carbon free coal plants. These would use the capture and storage technology, that is the capture of the carbon emissions by separating the carbon among the fumes and then it's storage in the crust of the earth for instance. [...]

[...] Is coal the past or energy of the future? Coal is today one of the most important energy sources of the world, second only to oil. But the use of coal raises several issues. First there's the issue of energy supply. In a globalized world with mass production, the energy supply must be abundant and the energy must be as cheap as possible to keep costs down. Can coal be a competitive energy and continue to fuel economic growth as it allowed the industrial revolution in Great Britain at the turn of the 19th century ? [...]