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Coal – a secure, affordable and environmentally-compatible energy source

Europe and coal Coal and lignite were synonymous with the economic and political development of Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. National states and major manufacturing centres owe much of their industrial structure to coal mining. Will this still be the case in the twenty-first century?

Euracoal

Against the background of debates on the environment and the effects of CO₂ we have begun to hear many more voices calling for a “decarbonisation” of the global economy. It is said that Europe should lead the way and opt for a “progressive” energy supply without coal – and without nuclear power too. Such expressions are neither realistic nor sensible.

Even in today’s Community of Fifteen it is impossible to conceive of an energy mix without coal. Solid fuel is responsible for some 30% of the EU’s electricity production and the steel makers and other energy-intensive industries could not survive without it. As the only indigenous energy resource of any significance coal also provides some measure of energy independence.

EU enlargement will give coal even greater significance within the Community. In many of the accession countries coal and lignite play a key role in the energy supply sector. Coal is readily available on the world market, can be safely transported and easily stored. For this reason imported coal is an important energy option for the European Union. Coal extraction and coal utilisation are in many regions a synonym for jobs and wealth creation.

Coal is also an indispensable commodity around the world. More people need more energy – and in the long run this also includes fossil-based fuels. There can therefore be no talk of abandoning coal but rather of using it in a more intelligent way. New materials and better technical processes make for higher levels of efficiency in higher-performance power stations. This has both economic and ecological benefits.

And we still have some way to go in this area. If the world’s coal-fired power stations could be brought up to current EU standards we could achieve CO₂ reductions equivalent to half of Europe’s total emission levels. But Europe too has enormous potential for raising plant efficiency and this could be developed on a cost-effective basis. The building of new high-efficiency coal fired installations is a relatively affordable way to cut CO₂ emissions. Depending on technological development and economic efficiency we can even envisage ways in which, at some time in the future, CO₂ emissions might well be avoided completely.

And here lies the future for coal, here is the opportunity for Europe with its coal deposits and highly-developed coal technology. Research and development, innovation and cooperation – these are the key concepts that will give Europe’s coal and lignite industries a route into the twenty-first century.

And EURACOAL is working towards this.
Dr.-Ing. Dietrich Böcker
President of EURACOAL
www.euracoal.org

To view the entire paper visit: http://www.steinkohle-portal.de/medien/other/20030923112327.pdf (German version)