Scary numbers about Coal-fired power plants

There's a plan on building a 200MW coal-fired power plant in Bali to meet the required energy demand of the fast development of Bali. But do they really understand what consequences the plan will bring?


Below are some scary numbers about coal-fired power plants, based on a typical 200MW coal-fired power plant.

Air Pollution
Burning coal is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, global warming, and air toxics. In an average year, a typical coal plant generates:

·         1,480,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming--as much carbon dioxide as cutting down 64 million trees.

·         4,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings, and forms small airborne particles that can penetrate deep into lungs.

·         200 tons of small airborne particles, which can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, as well as haze obstructing visibility.

·         4,080 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), as much as would be emitted by 200,000 late-model cars. NOx leads to formation of ozone (smog) which inflames the lungs, burning through lung tissue making people more susceptible to respiratory illness.

·         288 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), which causes headaches and place additional stress on people with heart disease.

·         88 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.

·         68 pounds of mercury, where just 1/70th of a teaspoon deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat.

·         90 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.

·         45 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium.

Solid waste

Waste created by a typical 200-megawatt coal plant includes more than 50,000 tons of ash and 77,000 tons of sludge from the smokestack scrubber each year. Typically more than 75% of this waste is disposed of in unlined, unmonitored onsite landfills and surface impoundments.

Toxic substances in the waste -- including arsenic, mercury, chromium, and cadmium -- can contaminate drinking water supplies and damage vital human organs and the nervous system. One study found that one out of every 100 children who drink groundwater contaminated with arsenic from coal power plant wastes were at risk of developing cancer. Ecosystems too have been damaged -- sometimes severely or permanently -- by the disposal of coal plant waste.

Cooling water discharge

Once the 880 million gallons of water have cycled through the coal- fired power plant, they are released back into the lake, river, or ocean. This water is hotter (by up to 20-25° F) than the water that receives it. This "thermal pollution" can decrease fertility and increase heart rates in fish. Typically, power plants also add chlorine or other toxic chemicals to their cooling water to decrease algae growth. These chemicals are also discharged back into the environment.

Waste heat

Much of the heat produced from burning coal is wasted. A typical coal power plant uses only 33-35% of the coal's heat to produce electricity. The majority of the heat is released into the atmosphere or absorbed by the cooling water.

Coal mining

Coal is mostly stripped from the earth in surface mines; the rest comes from underground mines. Surface coal mining may dramatically alter the landscape. Coal companies often remove entire mountain tops to expose the coal below. The wastes are generally dumped in valleys and streams.

Underground mining is one of the most hazardous of occupations, killing and injuring many in accidents, and causing chronic health problems.

Coal transportation

Transportation of this quantity of fuel, requires ships that generate their own carbon emissions.

Coal storage

Coal burned by power plants is typically stored onsite in uncovered piles. Dust blown from coal piles irritates the lungs and often settles on nearby houses and yards. Rainfall creates runoff from coal piles. This runoff contains pollutants that can contaminate land and water.

  

Water Issues

A 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant draws about 0.88 billion gallons of water each year from nearby water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, or oceans, to create steam for turning its turbines. This is enough water to support a city of approximately 100,000 people.

When this water is drawn into the power plant, 8.4 million fish eggs, fish larvae, and juvenile fish may also come along with it -- and that's the average for a single species in just one year. In addition, EPA estimates that up to 0.6 million adult fish a year may become trapped against the intake structures. Many of these fish are injured or die in the process.

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Source: Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org)

-> Based on a 200 MW Coal Fired Plant (adapted from numbers for a 500 MW US plant, divided by 2,5)