Reviving industrial coal use: a cast study of the United Kingdom
Industrial coal use in the United Kingdom (UK) has been projected to rise between three and fivefold by the end of the century. This paper discusses the policy background to these large projected increases and considers the extent to which they might be realized in practice. Industrial coal use in the UK is unlikely to be constrained either by environmental impacts or distribution bottlenecks. The possible uses for coal in industry are examined, and the steam-raising (boiler) markets are identified as being most accessible to coal penetration. A model of the fuel-choice decision at industrial-boiler installations is outlined and is used in conjunction with steam-raising market projections to quantify possible future levels of coal demand. The model is sensitive to assumptions about fuel prices, industrial investment criteria, and government intervention. It is concluded that coal-use projections developed immediately after the 1973-1974 oil crisis are too optimistic, but that there is still considerable uncertainty about how high future coal demand might be. The reasons underlying these conclusions are discussed. The relevance of the findings for countries other than the UK is briefly considered. 33 references, 4 figures, 8 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA
- OSTI ID:
- 5500293
- Journal Information:
- Energy Syst. Policy; (United States), Vol. 7:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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