Backed Up Against the Environmental Wall, Clean Coal Makes a Comeback
The impact of the government’s Clean Air Act has set the stage for the decline of coal and has set in motion a chain of events that could transform coal completely by the end of the next decade. Recent coal demand surveys have also revealed that the coal industry has witnessed almost no increase in demand for nearly 7 years, which could soon translate into a complete seizure of sale and extraction as early as 2030.
The devastating economic downturn of 2007 has also had a profound effect on the use of coal, with many western countries no longer considering it to be a feasible source of energy through its use is growing in the developing world.
Formed by centuries of decomposition and compression of vegetation other bio-organisms, coal has had a rollercoaster ride over the past few decades as it began to be replaced with cleaner, and more efficient means of energy production, since its peak during the mid-1900s. Touted as an efficient, non-renewable source of energy, coal has lost favor with some government types, industry experts, and environmentalists alike, demanding a paradigm shift in focus to lower-polluting and more efficient sources of renewable energy without a sound strategy for what could replace it.
The recent bankruptcy of Alpha Natural Resources, the nation’s former leader in coal mining, has confirmed the industry’s fears that coal power plants are now facing a limited lease of life and as could be replaced by alternative forms of energy generation like natural gas. The biggest obstacle to adopting alternative sources of energy is the enormous infrastructure and development costs of setting up these new-age power plants, and the fact that there is no money to pay for their cashiering.
A more immediate solution is available to those faced with the question of coal’s shelf life, one that is gaining worldwide recognition and acclaim, in both the energy sector as well as with environmental groups. A unique spray-on catalyst from Burn Less Coal is being regarded as the biggest discovery since coal itself, with a number of coal units already employing this revolutionary product and others still in the testing phase.
This catalyst is proven to reduce coal consumption and emissions, by increasing the burn efficiency of coal. Since less coal is being used the power provider is able to save money or use the savings to fund more efficient air scrubbing technology.
#government’s Clean Air Act #decline of coal #coal industry #save money
