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Coal: local pollution and
externalities
Filip Černoch
cernoch@mail.muni.cz
Coal usage in history
• The first known depleted coal mine Fu Shun in China in 1000 BC. 300 BC
Theophrastus described combustion of coal in Greece. Romans used coal in
400 BC to produce glass.
• Coal substituted wood (charcoal) in glass and metal production – first energy
revolution.
• Deforestation of London surroundings in 1200, by 1500 production moved to
Ireland, Scotland, Wales.
• Coal depletition at Newcastle upon Tyne – spreading the mining activities
across the country.
• 1352 coal first internationally traded commodity (Newcastle → France).
• Start of industrial revolution, steam engine, production of steel, coke.
• Coal workers emancipation.
• In navy shift from sails to steam.
• In 1910 coal represented 60% of world energy mix, declining between world
wars.
CO2 emissions by fuel (pouds of CO2 /MBtu)
Coal (anthracite) 228.6
Coal (bituminous) 205.7
Coal (lignite) 215.4
Coal (subbituminous) 214.3
Diesel fuel and heating oil 161.3
Gasoline (without ethanol) 157.2
Propane 139.0
Natural gas 117.0
CO2 emissions by fuel
Environmental impacts
• Mining (opecast/surface mines and underground mines) – land
use, water and air pollution, dust. Impact on biotops and
landscape. Noise. Aestethical damages.
• Preparation for further processing – removal of impurities –
acids, heavy metals, chemicals are released.
• Transport – dust from coal, transport-related pollution.
• Workers – exposition to the dust and chemicals, mining risks.
• Coal combustion – GHG, primary pollutants, smog, acid rains.
• Solid waste – ash.
Environmental impacts
• Mining (opecast/surface mines and underground mines) – land
use, water and air pollution, dust. Impact on biotops and
landscape. Noise. Aestethical damages.
• Preparation for further processing – removal of impurities –
acids, heavy metals, chemicals are released.
• Transport – dust from coal, transport-related pollution.
• Workers – exposition to the dust and chemicals, mining risks.
• Coal combustion – GHG, primary pollutants, smog, acid rains.
• Solid waste – ash.
Air pollutants and their effects
Name Source Effects (esp. on human)
Particulate
matter
(PM)
Combustion, industrial
processes, wind erosion,
atmospheric reactions of
gases, transport
Respiratory: asthma development (suspected), asthma
exacerbation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
stunted lung development (PM2.5), lung cancer;
Cardiovascular: cardiac arrhythmias, acute myocardial
infarction, congestive heart failure (PM2.5).
Nervous system: ischemic stroke.
Volatile
organic
compounds
(VOC)
Incomplete combustion
of fossil fuels,
evaporation of solvents
and gasoline, emission
from plants
Organic chemicals in varied forms (eg. benzene,
chlorofluorocarbons…).
Carcinogenic, ozone formation
Carbon
monoxide
(CO)
Incomplete combustion
of fuels
Poisonous because of ability to bind to hemoglobin and
block oxygen delivery to tissues.
Visual impairment, reduced work capacity, reduced manual
dexterity, poor learning ability, difficulty in performing
complex tasks.
Air pollutants and their effects
Name Source Effects (esp. on human)
Nitrogen
oxides
(NOx)
Combustio
n of fuels
Asthma development (suspected), asthma exacerbation, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, stunted lung development;
cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic stroke.
Reacts with VOCs in sunlight to form ground- level ozone
Increases an amount of nitrogen in soil and country – change of
diversity. In aquasystems causes eutrophication. Increases acidity
of soil and water.
Sulfur
oxides
(SOx)
Combustio
n of sulfur-
containing
fuels (coal)
Can affect respiratory system and lung functions, aggravation of
asthma and chronic bronchitis, make people more prone to
infections of the respiratory tract; irritation of eyes; cardiac
disease aggravated; ischemic stroke risk. Contributes acid rain.
Other
elements
Nickel, mercury, arsen, chromium, cadmium, lead, florine,
chlorine
Emissions Amount of pollutants (in
tons per 1TWh – 1000MW
plant for 1000hrs)
SO2 2600
NOx 2800
Representative 1000MW coal power plant = 6 million tons
of CO2 per year = equivalent of 2 million cars. Plus 2 670
000 tons of ash.
In CR production of around 40 TWh of electricity from
coal, installed capacity around 11 700 MW. (2014).
Secondary pollution
• London smog
• Smoke and fog, typically in winter (combination with inversion). SO2 +
PM (soot) + vater wapour = transport of gaseous matters of smog to
the lungs.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSlwGIapFJI
• Photochemical smog
• Primary pollutants (NOx + Volatile Organic Compounds created during
fossil fuel combustion) interacts under the influence of sunlight = ozon
O3 plus other pollutants.
• Ozone – bronchial constriction, coughing, wheezing, respiratory
irritation, eye irritation, decreased crop yields, retars plant growth,
damages plastics…
• Accid rains
• Acidic rains caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide =
with water produce acids.
Health impacts of coal combustion
World total primary energy supply by fuel
Note: Peat and oil shale aggregated with coal.
World total primary energy supply by fuel
Note: Peat and oil shale aggregated with coal.
Externalities
• Who is paying for these damages to ecosystems and human
health?
• Reduction in life expectancy – respiratory and hearth ilnesses,
cancers…
• Degradation of buildings
• Reduction of crop yields
• Global warming
• Ecosystem loss and degradation…
Externalities
Externality
• A consequence of an economic activity that is experienced
by unrelated third parties. An externality can be either
positive or negative.
• (Pigouvian) taxes/subsidies
• Command and control solution
• Ownership rights
Coase theorem
• If trade in an externality is possible and there are sufficiently
low transaction costs, bargaining will lead to an efficient
outcome regardless of the initial allocation of property.
• Uneffective if:
• there are many affected parties, so it is expensive to coordinate the
necessary contracts for the sale of property rights.
• one person can block the sale, regardless of the costs actually imposed on
them.
• enforcement of the contract is too expensive, such as the costs of court
proceedings if there is a breach of contract.
• the costs of monitoring the offending behavior are high
Solution of the ´coal problem´?
• Source substitution.
• Higher efficiency of coal combustion.
• Reduction of coal pollutants during the process.
• CCS
Gross electricity generation in the Czech
Republic (GWh)
Situation in the Czech Republic
Situation in the Czech Republic
Externalities of electricity production
In €cents/kWh for selected energy sources in 2003 (Price of electricity in 2003
– 1-2 €cents/kWh
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Liberec (oils)
Ledvice
Hodonín (lignit)
Počerady
Tisová I, II
Prunéřov II
Tušimice II
Chvaletice
Mělník II
Prunéřov I
Mělník I
Poříčí
Dětmarovice (hard_coal)
Mělník III
Karlovy Vary (gas)
Vřesová PPC
Brno Č.Mlýn (gas)
materials
crops
morbidity
mortality
climate change
Sources
• IEA: Medium Term Coal Market Report 2015
• EIA: International Energy Statistics, 2015.
• HEAL: The Unpaid Helth Bill: How Coal Power Plants
Make Us Sick, 2013
• Sourcewatch.org – External costs of coal
• Ecofys: Subsidies and costs of EU energy, 2014
• Ščastný, M.; Melichar, J.: External Cost of Fossil And
Non-fossil Energy Systems: The Case of the Czech
Republic, 2007
• oEnergetice.cz (Bílina mine photo)