Low CO2 coal - some kind of scam?

[Nagel]

I went to stock up on coal today and went to the local Sainsbury filling station. They don't stock real coal any more but something called Low CO2 coal aka "LoCOal".

 

It's promised to emit 25% less CO2 than house coal when burnt. So if it does that surely I'm being ripped off, as when I buy coal I'm effectively buying carbon. If it gives off 25% less CO2 then it must give off 25% less heat and so work out 25% more expensive.

 

Or is there something I'm missing? This is the stuff - http://www.coals2u.co.uk/locoal-25kg-prepacked

 

I was suspicious of the stuff and didn't buy any, just went to the next place that stocked real coal.

[Guest sibon]

I went to stock up on coal today and went to the local Sainsbury filling station. They don't stock real coal any more but something called Low CO2 coal aka "LoCOal".

 

It's promised to emit 25% less CO2 than house coal when burnt. So if it does that surely I'm being ripped off, as when I buy coal I'm effectively buying carbon. If it gives off 25% less CO2 then it must give off 25% less heat and so work out 25% more expensive.

 

Or is there something I'm missing? This is the stuff - http://www.coals2u.co.uk/locoal-25kg-prepacked

 

I was suspicious of the stuff and didn't buy any, just went to the next place that stocked real coal.

 

At a guess, it contains some hydrocarbon fuels, rather than simply carbon. That will burn to give carbon dioxide and water, rather than just CO2. I'd imagine that the heat output would be similar to normal coal.

[Uptowngirl]

I went to stock up on coal today and went to the local Sainsbury filling station. They don't stock real coal any more but something called Low CO2 coal aka "LoCOal".

 

It's promised to emit 25% less CO2 than house coal when burnt. So if it does that surely I'm being ripped off, as when I buy coal I'm effectively buying carbon. If it gives off 25% less CO2 then it must give off 25% less heat and so work out 25% more expensive.

 

Or is there something I'm missing? This is the stuff - http://www.coals2u.co.uk/locoal-25kg-prepacked

 

I was suspicious of the stuff and didn't buy any, just went to the next place that stocked real coal.

 

 

It's normally sold as pebbles.

[comrade juan]

Anything advertised as low in CO2 is a scam...... The whole enviroment religion has as much credence as any other religion eg, none

[Nagel]

At a guess, it contains some hydrocarbon fuels, rather than simply carbon. That will burn to give carbon dioxide and water, rather than just CO2. I'd imagine that the heat output would be similar to normal coal.

 

That's a possibility, but coal already contains hydrocarbon fuels. Heat it up and you get coal gas.

 

It would be interesting to know the energy output per kilo of regular coal versus this low CO2 product.

[Nagel]

Oh, here you go - http://www.coals2u.co.uk/fuels-open-fires

 

It seems the low CO2 coal actually produces more heat than regular house coal. Maybe I'll get some.

 

32,996 kJ/kg for the Ecoal versus 30,551 kJ/kg for standard house coal. I wonder how that works?

[Mecky]

I thought low CO2 coal was coke, it burns cleaner and hotter? I thought coal was baked to make coal, so how is that more green since the same amout on CO2 will be released? Perhaps because it is burnt twice?

[Eater Sundae]

The link in the OP explains its claims.

 

It doesn't claim it gives out less CO2 when it is burnt. What it says is that 30% of it is from a renewable resource. So, for example, if each 100kg of the product is made up from 70kg of coal (a non-renewable resource) and 30kg of wood (a renewable resource), then when it is burnt it releases the CO2 associated with 100kg of fuel. However, in growing the trees which made the wood component, the trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere equivalent to 30 kg of fuel. As a result the net release of CO2 is equivalent to 70kg of fuel (ie 100 - 30 kg).

 

Edit - not quite correct, it may be claiming actually less CO2 - I'm not sure, it could be trying to factor in the absorption of CO2 by its "renewable" part.

[HeadingNorth]

I thought low CO2 coal was coke, it burns cleaner and hotter?

 

It burns cleaner in the sense of being less smoky and messy. It probably (but I'm far from certain) produces more carbon dioxide than coal, weight for weight, because coke is just about pure carbon. Coal contains numerous hydrocarbons, and the hydrogen part of it burning, doesn't produce carbon dioxide.

 

On the other hand, I don't know if one kilogram of coke produces more, or less, heat than one kilogram of normal coal. These calculations are always more complicated than you think they're going to be.

[Guest sibon]

That's a possibility, but coal already contains hydrocarbon fuels. Heat it up and you get coal gas.

 

It would be interesting to know the energy output per kilo of regular coal versus this low CO2 product.

 

The coal briquettes that you buy have had the other hydrocarbons removed, hence their smokelessness. They are usually ground up coke, or anthracite dust, cemented together.

 

The link in the OP explains its claims.

 

It doesn't claim it gives out less CO2 when it is burnt. What it says is that 30% of it is from a renewable resource. So, for example, if each 100kg of the product is made up from 70kg of coal (a non-renewable resource) and 30kg of wood (a renewable resource), then when it is burnt it releases the CO2 associated with 100kg of fuel. However, in growing the trees which made the wood component, the trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere equivalent to 30 kg of fuel. As a result the net release of CO2 is equivalent to 70kg of fuel (ie 100 - 30 kg).

 

Edit - not quite correct, it may be claiming actually less CO2 - I'm not sure, it could be trying to factor in the absorption of CO2 by its "renewable" part.

 

The ad seems pretty clear. It states that the fuel produces up to 25% less CO2 than house coal when burnt. It must contain something else, surely.