Coal

Coal to Liquids

Can coal be a liquid? Yes! Coal liquefaction, the process of converting coal to liquid, turns coal into an alternative for liquid fuels. South Africa has the only commercial coal liquefaction industry in the world, and it has been producing fuels this way since 1955. These fuels are used for cars and jets and have potential outside of transportation as well. Coal-derived dimethyl ether, for example, could be used in developing countries for heating and cooking as it is non-toxic and less harmful to the environment than traditional petroleum gas.

How Does Coal Mining Affect the Environment?

Coal mining and coal use has historically had a negative impact on the environment, particularly by creating harmful gases like carbon dioxide and methane. But the coal industry is working to improve these detrimental effects.

Coal companies reduce carbon dioxide emissions by capturing the gas and injecting it into deep geological formations for storage. Mining also produces methane gas, which has a much greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Using technological advances, the industry has been successful in recovering the methane and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. According to the International Energy Agency, replacing older coal-fired power plants with more efficient plants could significantly reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Coal mining’s effect on the environment reaches beyond the atmosphere: the Earth also feels its effects.

Land – Coal mining can lead to soil erosion and dust, and it causes disturbance to large tracts of land.

Water – Acid mine drainage, a metal-containing water that is formed by the chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulphur-bearing minerals, can pollute water around a coal mine with heavy metals like copper, lead and mercury. Methods coal companies can use to minimize water pollution include building specialized water treatment plants and recycling contaminated water.

Plants and animals – Coal mining, particularly surface mining, can disturb land that is used for grazing, animal habitats, forests, crops and more. But the coal-mining industry makes rehabilitating land once mining is complete a top priority. After mining is complete, companies reshape the area, replace top soil and replant vegetation, making the reclaimed land suitable for wildlife, agriculture and more.