World Coal Deposits

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Coal was the first fossil fuel used to generate electricity. 75 per cent of the coal mined is used to generate electricity. Coal is burned to make steam that rotates the turbine and generates electricity.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock. It was formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened and chemically altered over geologic time.

Depending upon the carbon content, coal is classified as:

• • Anthracite: more than 85 % carbon
  • Bituminous: 45-85 % carbon
  • Sub-bituminous: 35-45 % carbon
  • Lignite: less than 35 % carbon

Distribution

The coal deposits although exist in nearly every region, but commercially exploitable deposits occur in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. In 1999, China was the top producer as well as the top consumer of coal. The top three coal producing countries are China, USA and India. The order of consumption also follows the same pattern.

 

Top Coal Reserves/Deposits Countries in the World

Ranking	Country	Total Recoverable Coal Reserves in 2008 (million tons)	% of World
1	United States	237295	22.6
2	Russia	157010	14.4
3	China	114500	12.6
4	Australia	76400	8.9
5	India	60600	7
6	Germany	40699	4.7
7	Ukraine	33873	3.9
8	Kazakhstan	33600	3.9
9	South Africa	30156	3.5
10	Serbia	13770	1.6
11	Colombia	6746	0.8
12	Canada	6528	0.8
13	Poland	5709	0.7
14	Indonesia	5529	0.6
15	Brazil	4559	0.5
16	Greece	3020	0.4
17	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2853	0.3
18	Mongolia	2520	0.3
19	Bulgaria	2366	0.3
20	Pakistan	2070	0.3
21	Turkey	2343	0.3
22	Uzbekistan	1900	0.2
23	Hungary	1660	0.2
24	Thailand	1239	0.1
25	Mexico	1211	0.1
26	Iran	1203	0.1
27	Czech Republic	1100	0.1
28	Kyrgyzstan	812	0.1
29	Albania	794	0.1
30	North Korea	600	0.1
31	New Zealand	571	0.1
32	Spain	530	0.1
33	Laos	503	0.1
34	Zimbabwe	502	0.1
35	Argentina	500	0.1
36	All others	5613	0.7