Coal
Home » Magazine » Good, issue 6 » CoalCoal-fired power plants release over 60 air pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide
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- Coal-fired power plants release over 60 air pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide.
- In 2006, coal provided 25% of the world’s primary energy supply and created 40% of worldwide CO2 emissions from fossil fuel.
- China uses coal for 80% of its energy, consuming nearly 2.5 billion tonnes a year, 45% of which is used by the industrial sector, often to manufacture goods for offshore companies.
- In 2007, air pollution caused more than 350,000 premature deaths in China.
- New Zealand’s coal-fired power station at Huntly provides 12% of our electricity, chewing through 2.5 million tonnes of coal per year.
- Coal production in New Zealand increased to 4.8 million tonnes in 2007. Nearly half is exported—a whopping 2.19 million tonnes.
- New Zealand has 26 operating coalmines: four underground and 22 opencast.
- State-owned Solid Energy produces over 80% of New Zealand’s coal. Its proposed Cypress mine at Happy Valley on the West Coast would turn 1,050 square kilometres of bush into two 96-metre-deep pits.
- The five million tonnes of coal produced by the Cypress mine would create over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The mine may also destroy the habitat of threatened species: the great spotted kiwi and the giant native Poelliphanta snail.
- ‘Clean coal’ technology for carbon capture and storage at coal-fired power stations is being developed—but will not be viable until 2030.
