Coal Fired Power Generation necessitates the electricity-production by coal-burning to produce steam in a boiler under extremely high pressure

 

The utilization of energy is a critical aspect of our nation's economy due to its vast potential to provide inexpensive, reliability energy. Coal, an established, safe power source that offers vast amounts of reliable energy, has grown more important as supplies of natural gas and oil decline. In addition to being the most abundant fuel source, coal is the cleanest available fuel for electricity generation, and its availability has led to its steady growth in recent years. For instance, in July 2020, the Mexican Commission of Federal Electricity (CFE) announced to buy around 2 million metric tons of coal from the local coal-producing companies to meet the demand of coal-fired power-plants.

In the process of coal fired power generation, the heat generated is transferred to the air through carbon dioxide released during combustion, and the result is a sudden, extremely hot rise in temperature. The effect of this sudden increase in temperature can be dangerous to humans who are nearby. However, coal fired power generation requires sophisticated safety systems to prevent the catastrophic loss of human life if this process were to occur. These plants also use control systems that are designed to reduce the possibility of a fire by extinguishing the fuel before it gets too large.

There have been multiple studies conducted on the effects of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from coal plants. Although all show a decrease in carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, not all of these studies agree with each other. The conclusion that can be drawn is that no single method can produce electricity sufficiently to meet current energy requirements, but that many methods can produce more electricity than they consume in their lifetime. Most coal fired power generation emissions are actually produced during the generation process, not immediately after burning.

One way to reduce the chance of carbon dioxide emissions is to reduce the amount of coal burning in households. The hotter the coal-burning fires, the more sulfur dioxide is produced. This produces one of two results. Either more sulfur dioxide is released, or more coal is burned. If more coal is burned, more carbon dioxide is released, and the likelihood of further coal burning increases.