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U.S. Department of Energy
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Domestic utilization of high sulfur coals: Trends and prospects

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5865619

Since the passing of the Clean Air Act the definition of high sulfur coal has been successively made increasingly stringent. The currently valid Revised New Source Performance Standards (RNSPS) for utilities constructed or substantially refurbished after 1978 have declared virtually all U.S. coal as high sulfur coal as it cannot be burned without FGD systems. Besides the sulfur content of coal the pollution potential depends upon total tonnage mined. For these reasons 6 states were chosen as high sulfur coal states for this investigation - East Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio in the Appalachian Coal Basin and Illinois, Indiana and West Kentucky belonging to the Illinois Basin. In the decade from 1974 to 1984, the total coal production in these states rose at an average of 1.25 percent per year while their shipments to utilities increased by 2.75 percent annually. West Virginia was the only state that expanded its market territory from 12 to 19 states. Low sulfur western coal was being increasingly shipped into the 26 states market area, rising from about 19 million tons in 1974 to 48 million tons in 1984 mainly into the same states from which the high sulfur coal retreated. At the same time production of low sulfur Appalachian coal (<1% sulfur) was increasing rapidly in response to falling demand for high sulfur coal.

OSTI ID:
5865619
Report Number(s):
CONF-8609178-
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English