Energy Resources- Coal

Depending upon its source and utilization, energy can be divided into two broad classes viz
(i)Non Conventional/ traditional or non-commercial- The non-commercial energy includes fire wood, charcoal, cow dung, agricultural wastes and also animal power.

(ii) Conventional/commercial energy- The commercial seprces of energy comprise coal, oil, natural gas, hydro-electricity. nuclear power, as well as wind and solar power.

Conventional Sources of Energy

Coal-

• Coal is an inflammable organic substance, composed mainly of hydrocarbons, found in the form of sedimentary rocks and capable of being used as fuel to supply heat or light or both.

• It also contains volatile matter, moisture and ash in varying proportions. Combustible matter in coal consists of carbon and hydrogen.
• Due to its high utility as a source of energy and as a raw material for a large number of industries, it is often called black gold

• Manufacturing of iron and steel and at variety of chemicals largely depend upon the availability of coal.

Origin of Coal

• Coal has originated from the organic matter wood. Large tracts of forest lands were buried under sediments in the geological past ie. in the Carboniferous age.

• Wood was burnt and decomposed due to heat from below and pressure from above. 
• During the process of decomposition of wood, hydrogen originates in the form of methane and water, oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide and water. 
• During the process of change from wood to coal, the amount of oxygen and nitrogen decreases and the proportion of carbon increases.
•  The capacity of coal to give energy depends upon the percentage of carbon contained in it. The percentage of carbon in coal depends upon the duration and intensity of heat and pressure on wood.

Varieties of Coal

Depending upon its grade from highest to lowest, following four varieties of coal are generally recognized.

1. Anthracite Coal.

• This is the best quality of coal and contains 80 to 95 per cent carbon. 
• It has very little volatile matter and negligibly small proportion of moisture. 
• It is very hard, compact, jet black coal having semi-metallic lustre.
• It ignites slowly and buras with a nice short blue flame. 
• It has the highest beating value and is the most prized among all the varieties of coal. 
• In India, it is found only in Jammu and Kashmir and that too in small quantity.

2. Bituminous Coal.

• This is the most widely used coal.

• It varies greatly in composition-in-carbon content (from 40 to 80 per cent)-and moisture and volatile content (15 to 40 per cent)-so that it is often sub-divided into several minor divisions such as sub-bituminous and bituminous coals.
•  It is dense, compact, and is usually of black colour. 
• A good bituminous coal is composed of alternate dull and bright bands.
• Its calorific value is very high due to high proportion of carbon and low moisture content. 
• Most of the bituminous coal is found in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh

3. Lignite.

• It is Also known as brown coal,

• It represents the intermediate stage in the alteration of woody matter into coal.

• lignite is a lower grade coel and contains about 40 to 55 per cent carbon.

• Its colour varies from dark to black brown. It is friable and pyritious.

• It is found in Palna of Rajasthan, Neyveli of Tamil Nadu, Lakhimpur of Assam and Karewa of Jammu and Kashmir.

4. Peat

• This is the first stage of transformation of wood into coal and contains less than 40 to 55 per cent carbon, sufficient volatile matter and lot of moisture. 
•  It burns like wood, gives less heat, emits more smoke and leaves a lot of ash after burning.

Occurrence of Coal in India

The coal bearing strata of India are geologically classified into two main categories, viz., the Gondwana coal fields and the Tertiary coal fields.

(a) Gondwana Coal.

• Gondwana coal contri butes overwhelmingly large proportion of both the reserves and production of coal accounting for 98 per cent of the total reserves and 99 per cent of the production of coal in India. 
• It is the store house of India's metallurgical as well as superior quality coal. 
• These basins occur down in the valleys of certain rivers viz., the Damodar (Jharkhand-West Bengal); the Mahanadi (Chhattisgarh-Odisha); the Son (Madhya Pradesh Jharkhand); the Godavari and the Wardha (Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh); the Indravati, the Narmada, the Koel, the Panch, the Kanhan and many more.

• Gondwana coal is said to be about 250 million years old. It includes coking as well as non-coking and bituminous as well as sub-bituminous coul Anthracite is generally not found in the Gondwana fields. 
• The Gondwana coal is almost free from moisture, but it contains sulphur and phosphorus in mall variable quantities.

(6) Tertiary Coal.

• The tertiary rock system bears coals of younger age

• This coal generally has low carbon and high percentage of moisture and sulphur. 
• Important areas of Tertiary coal include parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling in West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry.
• Over four-fifths of coal reserves are concentrated in just four states of hurkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Aharkhand and Odisha have more than half of the coal reserves of Indin.

Lignite.

• Over 90 per cent of the reserves of lignite are concentrated in Neyveli area of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu 
• The other lignite reserves of considerable importance in Tamil Nadu are those of Jayamkondacholapuram of Trichy district.
•  Mannargudi and East of Veeranam. Lignite reserves have been identified in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala to the extent of 3,099 million tonnes, 1,778 million tonnes, 128 million tonnes and 108 million tonnes respectively.

Distribution of Coal in India

• Majority of the coal-fields are found in the eastern part of India .

• Maximum concentration of coal fields is in the north-eastern part of the Peninsular plateau of India comprising parts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and eastern Madhya Pradesh and western part of West Bengal adjoining Jharkhand. 
• Southern part of Madhya Pradesh, eastern part of Andhra Pradesh and estern part of Maharashtra also have large deposits of coal 

1. Chhattisgarh.

• Chhattisgarh holds the third position with respect to coal reserves but occupies the first position, so far as production is concerned.
• Most of the coal fields of Chhattisgarh are located in the northern part of the state. 
• The Korba coalfield stretches  in the valleys of Hasdo (a tributary of the Mahanadi) and its tributaries (Ahram and Kurang) in Korba district. 
• The Birampur coalfield lies in Surguja district. 

• Jhilmili coalfield- In Shandol district & Koriya district

• Johilla coalfield in Johilla valley

• Chirmiri coalfield
  

• Tatapani-Ramkota coalfields




•  The Hasdo-Arand coalfield extends from Rampur in Surguja district to Arand valley in Bilaspur district 

•  Lakhaapar coalfield lies south of Bisrampur coalfield and spreads over Surguja. Koriya, Korba and Bilaspur districts.
• Sonhat coalfield in Surguja district has superior quality coal. 

2. Jharkhand.

• Jharkhand is the richest state with respect to reserves but has conceded the first place to Chhattisgarh. 

• Jharia, Bokaro, Girdih and Karanpura are some Major Coalfields 
• The Jharia coal-field lies to the south-west of Dhanbad city and is one of the oldest and the richest coal fields of India 
• The Bokuro coal-field in Hazaribagh district  is long but narrow strip in the catchment area of the Bokaro river 
• The Girdih (also known as Karharbari) coalfield lies to the south-west of Girdih in Hazaribagh district
• Ramgarh coal field situated about 9 km away from the Bokaro field
• The Auranga coalfield is located in Palamu 
• The Hutar coalfield in Palamu district, 
• Devgarh coalfields lie in Dumka district

• Dalton ganj Coal field

• Rajmahal Coalfield

3. Odisha.

Most of the deposits are found in Dhenkanal, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts.
The Talcher field 

• Located in Dhenkanal and Sambalpur districts ranks second in reserves after Raniganj.
  

• Coal from this field is most suitable for steam and gas production. Most of the coal is utilised in thermal power and fertilizer plants at Talcher. 

The Rampur-Himgir coalfields

• Located in the districts of Sambalpur and Sundargarh 

The Ib river coalfield

• It covers some area in Sambalpur and Gangpur districts. 

4. Madhya Pradesh.

• Singrauli (Waidhian) coalfield in Sidhi and Shahdol districts is the largest coalfield of Madhya Pradesh.  Jhingurda, Panipahari, Khudiu, Purewa and Turra are important coal seams. J
• Pench-Kanhan-Tawa in Chhindwara district is another important coalfield of Madhya Pradesh. 
• Sohagpur coalfield in Shahdol district 
• Umaria coalfield 

5. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

• Most of the coal reserves are in the Godavari valley 
• The actual workable collieries are situated at Tandur, Singareni and Kothagudam. 

6. Maharashtra.

• Most of the coal deposits are found in the Kamptee coalfields in Nagpur District; 
• Wardha valley, Ghughus, Ballarpur and Warora in Chandrapur district and the Wun field in Yavatmal district. 
• Coal has also been located in Umrer, Nand, Makardhokra and Bokhara areas.

7. West Bengal.

• Raniganj is the largest coalfield of West Bengal&  started in India in 1,774. This field produces mainly non-coking steam coal, which is mainly used by thermal power plants.

• In Darjeeling district, coal reserves are found in Dalingkot coalfield
• Several seams occur near Tindharia 

8. Uttar Pradesh.

• Most parts of Uttar Pradesh are covered with sediment brought by rivers and do not possess coal reserves. But some of the coal seams of Madhya Pradesh project into the terrritory of this state.

• A small portion of the Singrauli field of Madhya Pradesh falls within Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Tertiary Coal-fields

Tertiary coal-fields mainly occur in association with limestone and slates of either Eocene or Oligocene-Miocene age. 

1. Assam.
Assam coals contain very low ash and high coking qualities but the sulphur content is high, as a result of which this coal is not suitable for metallurgical purposes. But these coals are best suited for hydrogenation process and are used for making liquid fuels.
The major coalfields in Assam are as follows-

• The Makum, Nazira, Mikir Hills, Dilli-Jeypore and Lakhuni. Of these, the Makum coalfield in Sibsagar district is most important
•  In the Mikir Hills coalfield, Koilajan, Langlor, Diogarang river areas also have some coal.

2. Meghalaya.

• Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills are important coal areas

• The Garo hills have important coalfields near Darrangiri. 
• • Khasi and Jaintia hills have  Siju, Cherrapunji, Liotryngew, Maolong and Langrin coalfields 

3. Arunachal Pradesh.

• Namchick-Namrup coalfield in the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh 

The other tertiary coalfields include the Kalakot, Jangali, Chinkah, Metka, Maholgala and Ladde areas. of Jammu and Kashmir and the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

Lignite-

1. Tamil Nadu.

• Tamil Nadu accounts for 90 per cent of the reserves  of lignite in India.

• The Neyveli Lignite fields of Cuddalore district have the largest deposits of lignite in south-east Asia and can sustain power generation for more than a hundred years. 
• However, Neyveli mines suffer from the artesian structure and constant pumping of water is a formidable task. 

2. Gujarat.

• Lignite occurs in Kachchh district at Umarsar, Lefsi, Jhalrai and Baranda and also in Bharuch district.

3. Rajasthan.

• Palana in Bikaner district have some Lignite deposits

4. Jammu and Kashmir.

• The main lignite fields occur in the Shaliganga river, continuing to the northwest upto Nichahom area in Handwara region of Baramula district

5. Kerala.

• Irregular seams of lignite occur near Pathiarpally in Alappuzha district, Warkala in Thiruvananthapuram district and Paravur in Kollam district.

6. West Bengal.

• Good quality lignite is reported to occur on the western side of the Jainti river and in Buza hills north-west of Jainti. 
• Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts have small pockets of lignite. 
• Beds of lignite also occur in the Ganga delta.

Puducherry Also have some of the Lignite deposits

Peat

• Peat is confined to a few areas only. It occurs in Nilgiri hills 

• In the Kashmir valley, peat occurs in the alluvium of the Jhelum and in swampy grounds in higher valleys. 
• In the Ganga delta, there are layers of peat which are composed of forest and rice plants.