Energy efficiency and steam coal transport over long distances

The Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland

^a Corresponding author: kszlugaj@min-pan.krakow.pl

Abstract

Coal is one of the most important energy sources in the world. Its main consumers are the energy sector (with a 37-46% share in the years 1990-2014; 1.12-2.34 billion toe) and industry (24-27%; 0.78-1.38 billion toe). Diversified distribution of coal deposits in the world in relation to its consumers means that it has to be transported over often very long distances. The global coal trade is dominated by maritime transport (90-94% in the years 2004-2014), and the share of transport by land is relatively smaller. The aim of the article was to calculate the index describing what part of the energy contained in the coal transported on a particular route is consumed by the train carrying it. Due to the dominant position of the Russian Federation in imports of coal to Poland, it was assumed that coal will be imported by rail from Kuzbass (Russia's largest coal basin). As a result of the calculation, it was found that the rate of energy consumption for transport of imported coal will be somewhere in the range of 9.22-15.26%. In the case of deliveries of hard coal from Polish producers to the power plants the calculated rate changes within the range of 0.55-0.58%.