Clean Coal

Coal is an energy source that has been under quite a bit of scrutiny over the last decade or so. Being one of the dirtiest forms of energy, there has been a significant movement to either clean it up or do away with it entirely. Recognizing the need for change, the coal industry has invested significant funding into the research of clean coal that will allow the continued usage of coal as an energy source, but that will also significantly decrease the carbon footprint it leaves behind.

There are now a variety of methods used to literally make coal clean. The first method is known as coal washing. It is a type of preparation that removes minerals that are unwanted or unneeded in the coal before it is burned. They do this by first crushing the coal and then combining it with a liquid solution that separates the components that are no longer needed.

Web scrubbers are also used to create clean coal. This enables the coal plants to control the burn of the coal so that harmful gases are not omitted into the atmosphere, such as sulfur dioxide. That particular component is responsible for acid rain, so removing it dramatically improves the quality of an energy plant that is coal based as it relates to the eco-system.

Nitrogen Oxides are another component of coal that has created some significant issues over the years. Low-NOx burners dramatically decrease the release of nitrogen oxides that would normally be produced during the burning process due to a manipulation of the combustion process. This particular element was related to aggravating such conditions as asthma and controlling it obviously created a significant improvement in air quality in and around coal plants.

Another process actually eliminates the need for burning coal in any form. The IGCC (integrated gasification combined cycle), uses oxygen and steam (or pressurized hot air) to force a reaction separating carbon molecules. This process creates a syngas (combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) that is run through a cleaning process and then burned off to power the turbines that generate the electricity.

The one form of clean coal that looks to be the future of the industry uses a flue-gas separation process that totally removes carbon dioxide from the equation. This is pretty significant as carbon dioxide is a culprit of global warming and removing it entirely will have a significant impact on the entire eco-system. While much of this technology is fairly new, great strides are being made and it is only a matter of time before this becomes the norm instead of the exception.

Coal is an integral part of our society and currently accounts for about 50% of all energy usage in the United States alone. While exploration into other methods continues every day, there is little danger that coal will be disappearing anytime soon. Knowing this, process must become more efficient and much cleaner.

In addition to being a main source of energy, coal is also used in a variety of different ways. There are fertilizers, tar and plastics that all have components of coal used in their production. It is also a significant part of the steel industry. However, these forms only account for a very small percentage of the actual use of coal. Currently, it is estimated that about 90% of coal that is used is done so for the purpose of power production.

While traditional coal burning operations are a thing of the past, plants that are using clean coal technology will begin to dominate the industry. This benefits investors in two different areas as the plants themselves will continue to be solid investments, but there is also the addition of the income that can be provided by the development up new up and coming clean coal technology.

Technology is always a marketable item, especially when it is as significant as this. Just because the processes are designed for coal, it does not mean that they cannot be put to use in other areas. Some of this technology can be utilized in a different form in a variety of manufacturing industries. This technology does not come without a hefty price tag and it will more beneficial to pay for technology that is already in play than it would be to spend millions developing their own systems. Investors in the clean coal industry will be the direct beneficiaries of these transactions.

Investing in coal is still a very profitable proposition, as long as the proper research is conducted. Because of the stronghold that coal has on the energy industry, it will be quite some time before it is not the dominant source of power. Yes, there is a drive to use renewable energy, but much of that technology is still up and coming. As in any portfolio, diversity is necessary and integrating promising renewable energy companies with current profitable coal and oil companies is a very sound strategy.

Coal presents a variety of possible areas to invest and each and every one of them needs to be looked at when building up an energy portfolio. Much like oil, coal products are being produced in larger numbers as the years pass to solidify their spot in the market place. While it may lose a piece of the energy market to different renewable energy sources, it will branch out in a variety of different niches to compensate for that loss.

Of course, there are also now clean coal plants that will dominate the industry. Any coal operation that had the foresight to begin conversion years ago is in prime position to absolutely dominate the market. The more government restrictions that are put on fossil fuels will only create more business for clean coal plants as they already have the controls in place that the government is asking to have.

Finally, there is the dramatic leap in technology that is being experienced in this particular niche. Once again, the comparison to oil comes into play as technology will become a very important part of the coal industries continued success in coming years. Because the coal industry is being forced to clean up their act, new technologies are being discovered every day. These energy companies are spending millions of dollars to develop clean air technology. Those very technological advancements will now become a marketable item.

When it comes to the environment, clean coal energy is the primary reason why coal will continue to play a significant role in how the world gets their energy. Because of the harmful elements that are released into the atmosphere from the old ways of burning coal, there was a huge movement to move away from coal as a primary source of energy. Clean coal technology alone is responsible for changing the overall attitude of the country in regards to coal.

Coal plants today are much more environmentally friendly than ever before. As a matter of fact, there are certain technologies that have been developed and that are continuing to be developed that will all but erase the carbon footprint that traditional coal plants had created. They no longer present issues such as acid rain when they are in operation. This is a rather significant accomplishment because of all of the hazards that have previously been linked to the coal industry.

There is also the added benefit that the working environment itself is now much improved. There were obvious concerns before about the well-being of the workers in this industry, and because these new methods, the harmful elements are stripped and removed from the coal before it is ever burned. Actually, the latest technology does not even require the coal to be burned in order to generate the energy. The advancements in this particular area are astonishing considering where this particular sector was just a few short years ago in terms of the ecological system.