Coal  Manufacturers, Traders, Suppliers

Coal is usually a dark-coloured rock that has been formed from fossil plant remains. These plants died millions of years ago and have been transformed into coal under exclusion of air and the pressure of the layers of earth depositing above. Hard coal or the geologically younger lignite are traditionally used for heating, as heat is released during combustion. Coal is used in coal-fired power plants to generate electricity by producing steam that drives the power plant's turbines. However, the combustion of coal releases carbon dioxide in relatively large quantities, a gas that makes a decisive contribution to climate change. This output cannot be reduced by filter systems either. The only way to make coal-fired power plants more environmentally friendly is to increase their efficiency, so that - relatively speaking - less coal is needed to produce the same amount of energy. Lignite is also responsible for the so-called acid rain, as sulphur dioxide is released into the atmosphere when it is burned. Acid rain damages plants, waters and buildings. However, the installation of modern filters has considerably reduced this environmental risk in recent decades. Coal is also needed for steel production, which has led to the emergence of steel and coal areas such as the Ruhr region in Europe. However, alternative, more environmentally friendly methods of energy production have reduced the profitability of coal and lignite mining, which has also contributed to the economic decline of these industrial areas.