The History of Coal Mining

With coal readily available to us in 2017, we sometimes take for granted the process and the history behind how this famous fossil fuel came about. Here is a very brief history of coal mining…

Many people are shocked to discover that coal mining and its history actually goes back thousands of years. It is only during the 19th and 20th century when the age of the industrial revolution came about that this little fossil fuel was being used primarily to power machinery such as steam engines, keep buildings warm and to generate electricity. Coal was used during this time because it yielded a higher energy per mass compared to wood fuel.

Though coal was commonly used domestically before the revolution, it is now mostly an industry material, aiding in the smelting and alloy production as well as helping to generate the electricity many of us use and take for granted on a daily basis.

In the 18th Century, coal began providing the main source of energy for transport and industry and remained this way until the 1950’s. To this day, coal actually remains an important power source due to its low cost and relative abundance. From the late 18th century, Britain developed many techniques of underground coal mining, which was progressed further by the 19th century and 20th century. From the 1860’s onwards however, oil was also being used an alternative.

By the end of the 20th century, coal was replaced domestically in many households by oil, gas and other alternatives- however, statistics from 2010 show that it produced over a fourth of the world’s energy. It is expected that by 2050, this will increase to a third.

Here at Quality Coal, we think that the history of coal mining reflects the quality of the product we provide today. There has been much dispute amongst the cleanliness of coal technology- however with new and improved types of coal coming out, we are positive coal will continue in popularity. Get in contact with the best coal merchants Manchester has to offer today!

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