Preface

In 1988, I published a book on coal preparation technology. It appeared at a time when there were no modern books covering this specialised area of technology, so the publishers were confident that there would be sufficient interest from engineers and technologists working in the mining, processing and utilisation areas to justify its publication. That book was a true ‘labour of love’, as it was written by a single author drawing upon a relatively wide personal experience, together with valuable inputs from a wide network of acquaintances and colleagues. It was a successful venture and sold out. Numerous people have since suggested that I update and refresh the first edition, but I have never been in a position to do this.

This new and broader book on coal technology will, I believe, serve a related need, but instead of being a single-author publication, it has been prepared by a widely experienced group of experts, many of whom are personal friends, colleagues or former colleagues, which makes the outcome even more pleasing for me. I do believe it will prove to be a similarly valuable book on a subject that has not been covered in a single publication. The objective is to provide all involved in the various facets of the coal supply chain, from those who initiate the development of a resource to those involved in the various end-user market areas, with information on the latest practices and expert views on the research and technology development trends, looking towards the next decade and beyond.

Coal remains an important fossil fuel resource for many nations worldwide, mainly due to the remaining large resources identified in some regions, the relatively low cost of processing, and its high potential energy intensity. However, many issues continue to surround its utilisation in the power sector and by other industrial users, particularly the environmental impacts of pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SO_x and NO_x) and certain toxic trace elements (such as mercury, boron, selenium, arsenic and cadmium) from coal combustion, together with growing concerns regarding the effects of gases such as methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) on climate change.

Advanced coal preparation and upgrading technologies offer an efficient and affordable route to reducing the production of these emissions, either directly or indirectly in combination with advanced utilisation technologies. The result is that the impacts from the use of coal can be minimised. We as a collective group believe that these advances are therefore critical to the cleaner production and utilisation of coal, in particular to those industries reliant on this relatively abundant energy source. This book also presents a systematic and comprehensive review of coal utilisation in industrial applications, from power plants to iron and steel making, coal-based transport fuels, and the production of a wide range of chemicals.

It is presented as a two-volume book, thematically subdivided into coal producer and coal user components, on the assumption that these will generally be the two main areas of reference for those interested in coal technology. Certain issues surround utilisation, not the least being emissions of pollutants and growing concern about climate change, which have given coal a new kind of ‘dirty image’ despite recent advances that have brought significant changes and clear improvements. The two volumes of The coal handbook together present a systematic and comprehensive review of coal production and utilisation in industrial applications, considering them in stages from resource development through to power plants and to steel and iron making, etc., with a clear emphasis on cleaner production.

Volume 1, entitled Coal production, deals with the coal production and delivery part of the supply chain, and covers all the important aspects of coal properties and characterisation that drive utilisation and influence both cost-in-use and environmental consequences. Worldwide coal resources and the associated social, economic and environmental issues are covered in the early chapters to provide the background. The various production-related stages, extending from resource evaluation, planning the recovery, and then mining, preparation and handling, are covered later to provide a clear understanding of the so-called ‘drivers’ of utilisation.

Volume 2, entitled Coal utilisation, concentrates on global coal use in industry. This volume draws upon the foundations provided in Volume 1, including an insightful look into the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China – also including Indonesia). These are the countries where coal utilisation is likely to continue to thrive for the next quarter of a century. They will be the ‘test beds’ for innovation and efficiency improvement. Coal use in power generation, iron and steel making, cement manufacture, conversion to gas and liquid fuels and chemicals – all these are covered in detail, together with the approaches adopted for cost-in-use and environmental assessments. A fundamental objective for all of these activities is the sustainable development of coal resources with totally integrated supply chain optimisation and subsequent minimisation of environmental impacts.

I have encouraged all of the authors to freely express their own opinions as to what they believe will happen in the future in their fields of expertise and what the challenges are that must be overcome to realise the full potential of coal as a major source of energy and carbon into the twenty- second century. The final chapter crystallises many of the ideas and views of the chapter authors, including posing the fascinating idea of an integrated coal complex, a concept which I believe has credibility, especially in the growth areas of China and India. This is a subject that has captured my imagination since the 1970s when, whilst living and working in South Africa, a colleague and friend of mine, David Horsfall, introduced a concept that he called COALCOM (an acronym for coal, coke, oil and megawatts). At the time, South Africa was striving to overcome the threat of oil import sanctions, and the Sasol Company was producing oil and chemicals from coal via a combination of Lurgi gasifiers and the Fischer–Tropsch process. David Horsfall proposed taking this one step further and incorporating a metallurgical element to the complex.

Finally I would like to express, on behalf of all who have contributed to this book, that we sincerely hope it proves to be a valuable source of information to those who seek a better understanding of any specific component of the coal supply chain, and of course all those who wish to improve their knowledge of the wider coal industry, as well as providing a stimulating reference source for all who make use of it. We offer ourselves as contacts to all who need to know more about any aspect of the subject matter, and therefore look forward to hearing from readers who have ideas and comments to offer.