Coal Flow Diagram Based On Coal Supply Chain:Methodology And Application

This paper develops a methodology of coal flow diagram baesd on coalsupply chain, and studies three purposes: for historical comparisons, forinternational comparisons and for future scenarios’ examination. This paperdevelops different methodologies for the three different porposes, shows dataand details, and provides a better understanding of coal utilization.Firstly, this paper applies the methodoly of coal flow diagram to analyzethe current stuatus and historical changes of coal supply chain in China, depictstwo kinds of coal flow diagrams of China in2005and2010, including energyallocation diagram and energy efficiency diagram. Secondly, this paper appliescoal flow diagram to carry out international comparisons: comparisons betweenChina and the U.S.. Two simplified coal flow diagram of China and the U.S.are depicted, compared and analyzed. Finally, this paper applies coal flowdiagram to examine future scenarios: the Twelfth Five-Year-Plan of CoalIndustry. Coal flow diagrams of China in the year of2015are depicted andanalyzed, some policy suggestions are given.Main conclusions are drawn as follows:(1) The chatacteristics of coal utilization in China in the year of2010are asfollows:1) China relies on domestic coal production.2) In the stage of coalconversion, about half of coal is used to generate electricity and heat, whileabout30%is consumed by industrial boilers and furnaces, and20%isconsumed by coking and gas works.3) In end-use sectors, industry andconstruction consume the most part of coal-derived energy.(2) There are some significant changes from2005to2010of coalutilization in China:1) coal production, consumption and imports all increases.2) The preparation rate of steamed coal increases obviously.3) In the stage ofcoal conversion, the proportion of coal consumed by electricity and heatgeneration, and coking and gas works both increases.4) In end-use sectors, theproportion of own-use increases.5) The efficiency of coal utilization increasesfrom52.5%to53.1%.(3) The main differences of coal utilization between China and the U.S. are as follows:1) China relies on underground mining and is a net importer of coal,while the U.S. relies on surface mining and is a net expoeter of coal.2) In thestage of coal conversion, about50%of coal is used to generate electricity andheat,30%is directly combusted, and20%is used by coking, in China. While inthe U.S. nearly all coal is used to generate electricity and heat.3) In end-usesectors, industrial sector consumes the most part of final energy in China,while in the U.S., industrial, residential and commercial sectors each sharesnearly1/3of final energy.(4) The examination of secarios of China in2015shows that, coalproduction requested by the Twelfth Five-Year-Plan of Coal Industry can notbe realized unless some futher improvements of coal utilization system arecarried out, including increased imports, improved conversion efficiency,reduced final energy demand, etc.