In the 19th century, most ocean shipping was powered by coal/steam andwind. There was a well distributed system of coaling stations and portsworldwide. This was gradually switched over to oil. Today, there may be a strong rationale for going back to coal. Manyports are set up to load up ships with coal for export anyway, andmaterial handling systems for coal have become very automated andadvanced. Ease of handling was one of the big reasons for switchingfrom coal to oil, but the advantage of oil in this regard is not asgreat as it was when coal had to be shoveled by hand. The price of oilhas gone up dramatically lately, and shows no sign of going down muchsoon. Coal prices are lower and more stable by comparison. For energysecurity, coal has the advantage hands down for western nations.Comments?-Jitney

wrote in news:1115019277.514693.55650Low thermal efficiency, means lots of coal, conversion of ships tosteam plants and coal bunkers won't be easy nor cheap. Won't happen.About as likely as the railroads going back to steam engines (albeitmuch modernized steam engines).Might happen: conversion of coal to diesel-compatible liquid fuel. Are there economical conversion processes out there, is it beingdone at all?--Damon

Coal-fired merchant shipping?

May 02, 2005 21 Replies

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Thrudgelmir 21 years ago

There is one large diesel (several MW's) in alaska fired slurry. however it is not on a ship, it is a stationnary diesel, used for power general for public grid.

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Mike Swift 21 years ago

I noticed that the link although talking about running a diesel on coal did not actually do it. Only the NO removal system was tested.

Another point is that Mr. Diesel first ran his engine on peanut oil. So the first Diesel engine ran on biodiesel.

Mike

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