Central media in-depth investigation: why is coal so crazy! After reading it, many people may have a deep understanding, that is, coal is really too expensive!
It is undeniable that coal resources are used in spring, summer, autumn and winter - the use of winter is quite high in the north of China, after all, it needs heating. However, many people are saying that under the "double carbon" target, "coal shortage" seems to appear in many areas, not only the price of coal on the "roller coaster", some power supply enterprises are actually "cut off", a few areas appear to pull the gate and cut the power, seriously affecting production and life.
The in-depth investigation of the central media shows that it does show the shortage of coal, but it can also be regarded as solving the shortage of coal. However, everyone's attention to coal has not stopped, and the big fluctuations in coal have made many people also worried about the recurrence of such a situation. Let's take a look.
Coal is one of the three major energy sources of the earth, in some cases it is indeed difficult to have other energy sources to replace, as long as there is a "coal shortage", there may be a price surge, which will also affect the users of coal. According to survey data, in September this year, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and other major coal-producing areas can be seen in long queues of heavy truck convoys to transport coal, all of which are waiting for coal to be dug and transported.
Local people say the last time this scene occurred was almost 10 years ago. The recurrence of such a scenario in September 2021 directly shows that the coal resource market has been volatile. Behind the drivers racing against the clock to pull coal is the reality that coal prices rise in a few days or even a few days. Since the third quarter, coal prices, especially thermal coal prices, have entered a continuous upward channel, and the pit price is only one step away from 2000 yuan / ton, while the price of 5500 kcal thermal coal in the port has soared to 2600 yuan / ton.
1 ton of coal is approaching 3,000 yuan! It can be said that the price is quite expensive, and before 1 year, the price of coal was less than one-third of it, generally around 500 yuan to 600 yuan. So, prices have indeed gone crazy. The report also clearly states that "in one year, the price of coal pit mouth has approached the mark of 3,000 yuan from five or six hundred yuan per ton", which is completely a "roller coaster" model price increase.
However, in the past two months, as of the end of November, the national power plant coal storage has exceeded the same period last year, reaching a record high. This means that there is no shortage of coal for power generation and heating this winter and next spring. Therefore, everyone does not have to worry about the problem of "coal shortage", we can use it at any time, and friends in the north do not have to worry about heating problems, coal resources are very rich.
Of course, why there is such a coal fluctuation, in fact, the report also summarizes a sentence - there is necessity in chance. For a long time, the development of the coal industry has been spiraling forward in the ups and downs, and the most direct reason is the mismatch between supply and demand.
That's the general situation. Of course, 1 ton of coal directly approaching 3,000 yuan has become a thing of the past, the market's coal is already in a stable state, everyone does not have to worry. However, when it comes to the problem of coal, many people think of China's "long-standing" coal area - Helan Mountain Coal Area.
And the coal loss in the region is very large, many people are also saying, if you can use these "wasted" coal, it is not a good thing, but the truth may not be what everyone thinks, why? Let's take a step-by-step look.
China's coal resources can be said to be quite a lot, and the Helan Mountain Coal Zone is only one region in China, but the coal in this area is very good, and there is also an extremely scarce "Taixi Wujin" - Taixi anthracite coal. This coal is "carbon-in-carbon", but it is also wasted in vain.
In 2021, a news about "spontaneous combustion of coal seams for more than 300 years, annual loss of 1 billion yuan, 25 fire areas" burned "Helan Mountain", triggered a heated discussion among everyone, but also let everyone see the pity of coal losses.
Indeed, especially in recent months, when there has been news of the "coal shortage", everyone's eyes have once again focused on this area. According to the report, the spontaneous combustion of coal seams in the Rujigou Mining Area of Helan Mountain has a history of more than 300 years, and there are 25 fire areas distributed within 28 square kilometers of the Rujigou Mining Area, of which the fire area also covers china's important nature reserves, and the impact area of the fire area has exceeded 3.3 square kilometers, and the maximum depth is 280 meters, and these fire areas are still spreading to the surrounding areas at a rate of 14 meters to 16 meters per year.
Most crucially, the "Taixi Ugin" we say is extremely scarce, and Taixi anthracite coal is also within the scope of combustion. In the entire coal region, we do not know much Taixi coal, with proven reserves of 580 million tons, but under the influence of the fire, only about 270 million tons are left. The fire area burns about 1.15 million tons of coal in Taixi every year, and the direct economic loss is about 1 billion yuan. According to the current fire development forecast, after 50 years, the Taixi coal retained in the Rujigou mining area may burn out.
So it's a real shame. Isn't it a good thing that 100 million tons of coal are burning in vain, and if we can use it, this billion tons of coal is enough to solve the utilization of coal in a time of shortage?
However, although we have such an idea, it may not be able to be realized, otherwise, helan Mountain coal seam burning for 300 years, why not solve the extinguishing, why not transport it away and use it, there must be difficulties, let's see what the reason is.
Burning hundreds of millions of tons of coal is actually a historical problem. Its appearance is mostly caused by workers' underground heating or the ground fire not being extinguished. In the 1990s, small and medium-sized coal kilns in the Helan Mountains were mined everywhere, the old fire area was intensified and developed, and new fire areas were constantly generated, so the "fire area" continued to spread. Many people may say, why not extinguish it? This problem has long been taken into account, and the difficulty level is not generally low.
Previously, it was also recommended to adopt the fire extinguishing technology of "grouting grouting" and "stripping + grouting" for treatment. However, due to the characteristics of large accumulated energy, sufficient air leakage and oxygen supply, large inclination angle of coal seam, and easy to appear large-area open flames, the application of traditional grouting and filling technology is seriously restricted, and the shallow fire area should be extinguished by means of "stripping + grouting". So there is absolutely no way. Many people may also say that water is extinguished?
From a chemical point of view, if the water encounters high temperature or heating and other factors, if it can not be fully "watered", it is easy to produce carbon monoxide, oxygen and other substances, which not only can not be extinguished, but will accelerate the combustion of the fire area, so this simple truth we should understand. So why not?
The idea is also very good, indeed, if the fire area is expanded, we will take the coal away in advance and use it. The idea is also good, so that the loss of coal can be reduced. It is definitely used, but the speed of manpower and coal combustion is too far away, and we can quickly transport the surface coal away at most, but the deep coal losses still exist.
Therefore, without fundamentally solving the problem of coal combustion, this cannot solve the situation of 100 million tons of coal loss, which is the general situation.