MARKET FOR COAL AS AN ENERGY SOURCE IN INDUSTRY

For the near term, a large conversion of industry from gas and oil to coal does not appear to be forthcoming. The lack of substantial economic incentives, large investments, and uncertain environmental policies lead many industries to postpone their decisions related to coal. Meeting ambient air quality regulations is viewed as one of the most important issues and one that seriously restricts the market for direct coal combustion. Synthetic fuels from coal must compete directly with oil and gas. At the present time, the price that would be required for these synthetics to cover their cost would not compete with their natural counterparts. However, in an environment where oil and gas is banned to industry, either by supply or government decree, the market for synthetic fuels is substantial. With synthetic fuel prices at an equivalent of 50$/bbl (1979), about 40% of the existing industrial boiler capacity could justify burning synthetic fuels rather than building new coal facilities. Although this analysis was derived for industrial boilers, similar conclusions can be drawn for the process heat market. (ERA citation 05:000041)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Coal marketing day 1980 conference, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 17 Sep 1979.
• Corporate Authors:

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  P. O. Box 2008
  Oak Ridge, TN  United States  37831

  Department of Energy

  1000 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • Fox, E C
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coal; Coal industry; Environmental protection; Freight traffic; Gasification; Industries; Retrofitting; Synthetics
• Subject Areas: Environment; Freight Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00317698
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: W-7405-ENG-26
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 22 1980 12:00AM