Coal in the 21st Century: Energy Needs, Chemicals and Environmental Controls

The long-term future for coal looks bleak. The recent UN climate change conference in Paris called for an end to the use of fossil fuels. However, coal remains one of the world’s most important sources of energy, fuelling more than 40% of electricity generation worldwide, with many developing nations relying almost wholly on coal-fuelled electricity.

Coal has been the fastest growing energy source in recent years and is essential for many industrial activities, but the coal industry is hugel...