Coal is a fossil fuel that takes millions of years to occur. It is formed by the death and decay of vegetation. Coal is formed when it undergoes compression under high pressure and temperature buried under the earth’s sediments. It is generally found in layers which are called as coal beds and in veins which are called coal seams.
India has 20 billion metric tons of coal reservoirs. It s mainly found in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarpradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Oddisha, Meghalaya, Telangana, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arrunachal Pradesh and Bihar.
Till 2011 India was producing 532 million metric tons every year which is on an increase each and every year. The CIL (Coal India Limited) is the largest coal producing company in India that provides 85% of the total coal production.
Coal is the back bone of power generation in India. Other than power generation it is also used in various metal and non-metal industries. Coal production indirectly affects the economy also.
Our economy depends on industrial developments but the catch here is that industrial developments depend on coal production. So the backbone of our economy which means stock exchange indirectly depends on coal production. This shows how important a resource like coal can be to a country.
Due to its king like properties for it rules industry sector it is better to be known as the black diamond among industrialism and investors in the significant growth of a country’s economy and for a country like India which has abundant source if this mineral.
It is important to use it wisely to enhance our commercial industrial sector. Coal has so much importance in your life that it is impossible to mention all of them. The Indian Industry of Coal is the third largest producer of coal in the world. But the consumption of coal in local industries is so high that we need to import coal in our countries to fulfill our needs.
Also India is a developing country. So it makes us of more resources like coal to fulfill its needs. Although it is the third largest producer yet the export sector of coal is still not feasible to us; thanks to our consumption. Still few very important uses whose importance is undeniable are listed as follows:-
There are two types of coal available for private and public sector. First is steam coal which is also known as thermal coal and it is mainly used in the power generation In India. Second type of coal is cooking coal which is also known as metallurgic coal and it is used in steel production by industries.
Importance of coal in India
Coal is the cheapest source of energy. Not only cheapest but it is also found in abundance in India. To increase the rate of industrialization more energy is needed that too on cheaper rate. Industrialists don’t want to sacrifice their profits by increasing the cost of raw material.
Thus, to meet the global demand at best prices and hence gains profits, coal is necessary. It enhances the economy of our country. The steel, iron and cement industries of our country need regular supply of coal in huge quantities to meet their daily energy needs.
The Indian Railways also uses coal as a source of energy for running the transport system smoothly.Coal gas and other by products extracted during the refinement of coal are used by chemical-based factories for carrying out its operations.
It is the main source of power generation in India. Or in other words it can be staid thermal energy or heat energy of coal is converted into electrical energy or electricity. Not only in India but in the whole world it is used to generate thermal power on a large scale.
It is the cheapest and most available form of energy. It is also used as domestic fuel for cooking. Though it’s consumption in the kitchen has reduced quite considerably in the last few years but still in many rural villages, coal is the energy that lights up their rooms and stoves.
Coal acts as a raw material for various chemical industries-like benzole, sulphate of ammonia, coal tar, coal gas etc. not only it acts as a raw material but also the byproducts of coal are also very important for various industries. The byproducts are naphthalene, anthraces, antiseptics, benzene, toluene, phenol etc.
These by products formed after carbonizations are also used in different places and in different industries for.eg.
Ammonium chloride is used in fertisers, explosives and pesticides production.
Sacchanin is used as an artificial sweetener in packaged products.
Anthracene acts as raw material in paints, industries etc.
Toluene is used for the production of explosives.
Phenol and para xylene are used in synthetic fiber and pharmaceutical factories.
Pyrimidine is a by-product of coal and is used in the manufacturing of paints, varnishes, and rubber.
Preservation of coal
Coal is extracted from the earth. It is energy extracted from the fossil fuels buried deep inside the earth. But these fossil fuels form over a period of millions of years. While humans have just drained coal out of its reserves in a period of only 200 years.
What is even more threatening is the fact that humans have developed their worlds on the power of the coal. But they are subconsciously moving back to the age when they had no industrialization. Resources which the nature provides us will dry up one day or the other.
Without these resources no industrialization is possible. Humans will have to find alternatives so as to preserve coal. At this date coal is used to produce a major part of electricity.
But coal is facing extinction at a very high rate. Alternatives like solar energy, hydro electricity, tidal energy, geothermal energy and nuclear energy should be brought more in use to compensate for thermal energy.
The trade of coal is essential for the growing economy but its preservation is necessary for a blooming industry. If coal extinct, all hell will break loose and humans will fall back to Stone Age-the step from where he started.