Black gold, as it is known to be, coal has been one of the oldest sources of energy, used both for domestic and industrial purposes. Pakistan has vast coal reserves and is ranked at ## 7 in the world.
The reserves of Thar coal alone are 3,192 million tonnes and accounts for 85% of the national reserves. It has a heat value of 11,054 BTU. Lakhra coal field is the next biggest having a BTU of 9,158. Beside Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab too have reserves of 54 and 55 million tonnes with a BTU ranging between 15,499 and 15,801, 97% of the coal reserves in Pakistan are of lignite rank.
Coal is being mined at all these fields and the present production of 3.5 million tonnes is primarily being consumed in the brick-kiln industry. Indigenous coal has, however, high ash and sulphur content and low calorific value. As such it is not best suited for industrial consumption. Low sulphur and high calorific value coal is being imported from China, Indonesia and South Africa for cement drying processes. It is time that coal washing plants be established in the country to de-ash and de-sulphurize local coal so that it can be used for blending with high quality imported coal.
We need to look at alternatives to conventional fuels and consider substituting them with coal in processed form like coal briquettes. In its present form coal cannot be used for reasons of impurity, high smoke, low initiation of fire and consumer preference to other conventional fuels.
Coal briquetting is a process by which low-grade coal is converted into hard, impact resistant coal with superior fuel quality and good calorific value for domestic and industrial purposes. Globally about 28.22 million tonnes of briquettes is produced annually out of which 54% is produced from anthracite bituminous while 46% is manufactured from lignite.
The technology is well established in the world and in the last two decades, because of competition from other fuels, there has been significant improvement in the quality, production and automation of briquette processing.
We have severe cold in the north of Punjab and the Frontier and as such coal briquettes could be a good alternative to existing fuels and could help to reduce the problems of tree cutting for fuels, by locals.
ADVANTAGES OF COAL BRIQUETTING
The principal advantages of briquetting are as follows:
1. Coal, which is easily breakable and cannot stand handling (coal powder) could be converted into more stable briquetted forms.
2. Coal, which is susceptible to weather or likely to ignite spontaneously, could be briquetted into stable forms.
3. Coal with higher sulphur content, the coal can be added to ash by mixing suitable additives to the coal powder before briquetting. The briquettes thus produced pose least health or environmental problems.
4. Briquettes produce relatively smoke free fire and could produce high volatile coals by devolatization.
5. Combustion properties of the briquettes could be adjusted to an appreciable extent.
6. Briquettes could be produced in various size and shape according to the requirement of the consumer.
7. Briquetted coal is environmentally more accepted than coal. The scattering of coal dust in homes and streets due to breakage could be avoided.
The pioneer in coal briquetting technology in Pakistan
Phoenix Coal Briquetting Company has taken the initiative and established the first Automatic Coal Briquetting Plant at Munara - Chakwal district in 2003. The plant has a capacity of 3000 briquettes per hour. Briquettes are being used and tested by Phoenix in the following areas:
1. Domestic heating.
2. Maintaining optimum temperature in poultry farms.
3. Heating process in the tobacco barns (with assistance of Pakistan Tobacco Company).
4. Melting of non metals in hearths.
5. Melting of low temperature metals in the furnace.
6. Brick works, bangle works and black smith work.
Technical specifications of phoenix coal briquettes
Size: 3.75 inch
Height: 2.8 inch
No. of air holes in the briquettes: 12
Weight: 0.6 Kg
Comparison of heat values of coal briquettes with other fuels.
Coal briquette: 8110 Btu/lb
Wood: 5394 Btu/lb
Natural gas: 967 Btu/lb
Legnetic coal: 7210 Btu/lb
The results of test carried out by PCSIR Karachi Laboratory on coal briquettes produced by Coal Briquetting Company, are as follows: -
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Parameters Basis Coal
Briquette
Moister % ADB 1.21
Volatile
matter % ADB 9.66
Ash % ADB 47.64
Fixed
carbon % ADB 41.49
Total
sulfur % ADB 0.53
Gross
calorific value
(Btu / lb) ADB 8615
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Coal briquettes cannot compete with fire wood in price terms but with the help of the government and with exemption of sales tax, the product could become competitive.
It would be in the best interest of the country if we could do away with the problem of de-forestation and find efficient and economical alternatives. Pakistan has to make a choice and reduce its imports of fuel by providing support and incentive to projects such as coal briquetting. Considering the extent of national reserves of coal and the existence of good utilisation of this resource, every effort should be made in encouraging this particular sector.
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