Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Coal-based products are products with at least one main ingredient made from
coal. Coal is a type of carbonaceous rock that was formed from the remains of
plants and animals over millions of years under pressure. Coal contains
elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, and also has a multitude of
trace minerals. Scientists believe that coal was formed during the
Carboniferous period (280 to 345 million years ago) when an abundance of plant
and animal life grew and thrived in swampy areas 1. These life forms
eventually died and sank to the bottom of swamps to form peat (a soggy,
sponge-like material). The peat eventually got buried and became compressed
over millions of years. With heat and pressure, the peat eventually became
coal. The greater the heat and pressure, the harder the type of coal that was
formed.
The four main categories of coal are lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous and
anthracite. Lignite is the softest type of coal, and contains a lot of
moisture and ash, and has the lowest carbon content. Also called "brown coal",
lignite is mainly used at electricity-generating plants. Subituminous coal has
less moisture than lignite, and is generally used for producing steam for
electricity generation. Bituminous coal has a high heating value and little
moisture. It is primarily used to generate electricity and produce coke for
the steel industry. Anthracite is the hardest type of coal, and has the lowest
moisture and ash content. This coal type makes a good heating fuel for homes
1. All of these coal types can be used to produce many other coal-based
products, such as chemicals, tars, oils and other coal products.
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This BCC study meets these needs by analyzing global markets for coal-related
products and technologies (see Scope and Format for a definition of these
products) in light of the most recent available information. In addition to
looking at current and future markets for these products, the study will
analyze technological, demographic, and economic developments that may have a
long-term impact on the size and structure of the market for coal-related
products and technologies.
This report provides an analysis of the market for coal-related products and
technologies by type of coal product, technology, end-user, and region. The
future of coal-based products and chemicals will also be discussed, with
forecasts for consumption of specific products.
This report contains:
- A detailed description and overview of the coal-related product industry
focused on the U.S. market
- U.S. market forecast with five-year projections to 2011, based on product
application and sectors of the market, and the latest market drives
- Observations and predictiosn for the future of coal-based technology
- A review of the market shares including the top companies within the
industry today
- A detailed patent analysis.
More specific objectives are to:
- Identify and segment the main types of coal-related products and
technologies that have been commercialized to date;
- Analyze the historical and current volume and value of shipments of each
of these product segments in specified end-user and geographical markets;
- Identify and evaluate the impact of demographic, economic and other
factors that will drive future demand for coal-related products;
- Forecast the volume and value of shipments of the product segments by and
probabilities that future demand will be higher or lower than the baseline
forecast;
- Identify promising new coal technologies and products still in the
development and testing stage, and assess the probability that they will be
commercialized successfully in the next five years;
- Forecast the potential market for these developmental procedures and
products, taking into account the estimated probability that they will be
commercialized;
- Identify leading manufacturers of coal-based products and analyze the
structure of the coal-related product industry (e.g., market shares,
concentration, and recent M&A activity);
- Assess the long-term outlook for coal-based products, taking into account
market opportunities, as well as technological, financial, and economic
factors.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
The report has been written for business executives and other decision-makers
responsible for coal-related end products, intermediate coal processing and
management dimensions of coal-related products and clean coal technologies.
This especially includes decision-makers in:
- The chemical industry
- Coal research institutions
- Coal manufacturing
- Clean coal technologies
- Coke plants
- Industries that have coal byproducts
- Power plants that use coal
SCOPE AND FORMAT
This report is an analytical business tool whose primary purpose is to
describe the coal-related product industry and the U.S. market for these
products.
The scope of the study does not include:
- Products and technology that are used exclusively for coal mining;
- Products and technology that are used exclusively for coal beneficiation;
or
- Equipment used for coal crushing, grinding and transporting.
The format of the study is organized around the following topics:
- Major types and applications of coal-based products and technology;
- Industry structure;
- Market size and segmentation, including historical data on sales by
application, product type, end-user group, and geographical market;
- Market drivers;
- Detailed market projections through 2011;
- Competition and market shares; and
- Observations and conclusions regarding the future of coal-based products
and technology.
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