Energy consumption in a country is a good
indicator of its development. It is said that the
wheel of progress moves fast with the flow of
energy.
COAL
It is an inflammable organic substance
composed mainly of hydrocarbons, found in the
form of sedimentary rocks, which could be used
as a fuel to supply heat or light or both.
It constitutes about 60% of total commercial
energy con sumed. The power sector and
industries account for 94% of its total consumption.
It is called black gold for its high utility.
In India the coal bearing strata have been
classified under two main categories:-
Gondwana Coal Field
About 98 % of Indian coal reserves our
confined to Gondwana.
There are more than 74 basins mostly in the
Peninsular India. These basins are in the river
valleys like Damodar, Son, Mahanadi, Brahmani,
Wardha, Godavari, Indravati, Koel, Narmada,
Panch, etc.
Gondwana coal is said to be about 250 million
years old.
This coal is both coking as well as non-coking
with low sulphur content. It is bituminous to subbituminous
types and free of moisture. In general
this coal is good steam or gas coal.
Gondwana coal of Jharia in Jharkhand is the
“store house of metallurgical coal in India”.
This coal bearing “domuda” rocks are also
found along the foothills of Himalayas in eastern
and north-eastern part and in north Bengal.
Tertiary Coalfields
It is associated with marine deposits to
limestones, which were formed during Lower and
Middle Eocene, about 15 to 60 million years ago.
It is primary confined to extra-peninsular
India. They occurs in part of Assam, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling,
Pondicherry, Kerala, Tamil, Nadu, Kashmir, U.P.
and Rajasthan.
All tertiary coal generally have high sulphur
percentage.
Lignite Coal Reserves
J&K: Kashmir valley
Tamil Nadu: Neyveli, Karaikudi, Kulattur.
Rajasthan: Raithan, Lanyalab-basin,
Hondwara, Nichaham.
COAL CLASSIFICATION
I. Low Volatile Coal
Generally known as coking coal with low %
of volatile matter, low moisture content and ash
content upto 24%, they have good coking
properties suitable for manufacturing of hard
coke required for metallurgical purpose. About
98% of metallurgical coal is available from
Jharkhand and West Bengal.
(a) Primary Coking coal: It directly produces
hard coke for blast furnace and steel melting
furnace. It is found only in Jharia coal field of
Jharkhand.
(b) Medium Coking coal: Used in matching
blends with Prime Coking coal. It is found in
Raniganj, Jharia, East and west Bokaro, Ramgarh,
Karnapura and Kanhan valley.
(c) Semi to weak Coking Coal: Used in
matching blends with above two types. It is found
in Dishergarh, Sanctoria and Hatral, Ponitai and
Sonhat coal field.
II. High Volatile Coal
It has volatile matter above 30%, high moisture
of 10%. It is free burning coal, suitable for steamraising,
commonly known as non-coking coal.
They are used in industries for general heating,in steam raising in thermal power generation, in
steam locomotive, steam ships, brick-burning, in
chemical industries and as domestic fuel.
The total known geological reserves of all
types of coal in Gondwana and tertiary coalfields
stands estimated at 208.75 billion tonnes as on
January 1, 1999. The reserves of lignite have been
estimated at a little over 29.36 billion tonnes out
of which the major contributor is the lignite basins
of Tamil Nadu.
During 1999-2000, the productions of coal and
lignite are estimated to be about 296 million
tonnes and 21 million tonnes respectively.
