Research and Markets: Coal Industry in Canada 2012

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7lq85q/coal_industry_in) has announced the addition of the "Coal Industry in Canada" report to their offering.

Canada contains almost four percent of the world's coal resources, exceeded only by the former Soviet Union, the US, the People's Republic of China and Australia. Canada has at least 80 billion tons of exploitable coal using today's technology, with about 8 billion tons classified as commercially feasible under today's conditions.

These reserves equal about 100 years' supply at current production levels. It holds close to 10 billion tons of coal reserves which contribute approximately $5 billion to the economy annually. Coal meets about an eighth of Canada's primary energy needs, mainly as a fuel for electricity generation. The Canadian steel industry depends on coal for the production of almost every ton of steel.

The largest coal export markets for Canada are Japan and Korea. While thermal coal is primarily used for domestic purpose, almost the entire production of metallurgic coal in Canada is exported. It also imports coal into central and eastern provinces due to its geographic proximity to the US, around 80% of which goes to Ontario and is mostly used for coal-fired generation. The Elk Valley Coal Partnership is the world's second largest exporter of metallurgic coal, a high grade of coal which is used as fuel and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in blast furnaces. Around half of Canada's coal is transported by rail. Coal from mines in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta travels about 1100 km to west coast ocean ports, or 2300 km to Thunder Bay for shipment by lake to Ontario or the United States.

Recently, Canada's environment ministry has proposed tougher regulations for coal-fired power plants, but they do not go far enough to help the country achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets.

The impact of coal mining on the environment is a growing concern for all the coal producing nations around the world. To address these concerns, Canada has some of the world's most stringent standards for mine operations, worker safety and environmental protection. These standards also help in ensuring that the land used in coal mining can be returned to other productive uses within a few years of being mined. But the new regulations will have the most immediate impact on the smaller coal-fired units (150MW or less) because they tend to be among the oldest of the 55 facilities in the country, while the larger coal plants tend to be younger and will not be affected for the next 15-20 years.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1: Analysis of the Global Coal Industry

Chapter 2: Analysis of the Coal Industry in Canada

Chapter 3: Analysis of Major Players

Chapter 4: Conclusion

Companies Mentioned

- Teck Resources Limited

- Xstrata Plc

- Grande Cache Coal Corporation

- Western Coal Corporation

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7lq85q/coal_industry_in