ABSTRACT
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel on Earth and is expected to continue to be an important source of energy over the next several hundred years. Coal deposits are widely
distributed on Earth, and few areas do not have reasonable access to coal. Currently, about 23% of the world’s primary energy comes from coal, and the International Energy Agency expects consumption of coal to continue to increase in the future. For example, about 7.5 billion t of coal is projected to be used in 2025. This amount, which includes coal used for production of hydrogen, will be nearly twice the amount consumed in 2004 (Table 3.1).
