Coal in Canada
Encyclopedia
Reserves of coal
in Canada
rank fifth largest in the world (following the former Soviet Union, the US
, the People's Republic of China
and Australia
) at approximately 10 billion tonnes, 4% of the world total. This represents more energy than all of the oil and gas in the country combined. The coal industry generates CDN$5 billion annually. Most of Canada's coal mining
occurs in the West of the country. British Columbia
operates 10 coal mines, Alberta
9, Saskatchewan
3 and New Brunswick
one. Nova Scotia
operates several small-scale mines, Westray
having closed following the 1992 disaster there.
In 2005, Canada produced 67.3 million tonnes of coal and its consumption was 60 million tonnes. Of this 56 million tonnes were used for electricity generation. The remaining 4 million tonnes was used in the steel, concrete and other industries. The largest consumers of coal in Canada are Alberta and Ontario. In 1997, Alberta accounted for 47% of Canada's coal consumption at 26.2 million tonnes, and Ontario accounted for 25% at 13.8 million tonnes. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also use coal to generate electricity to varying degrees.
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rank fifth largest in the world (following the former Soviet Union, the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) at approximately 10 billion tonnes, 4% of the world total. This represents more energy than all of the oil and gas in the country combined. The coal industry generates CDN$5 billion annually. Most of Canada's coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
occurs in the West of the country. British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
operates 10 coal mines, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
9, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
3 and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
one. Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
operates several small-scale mines, Westray
Westray Mine
The Westray Mine was a coal mine in Plymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was the site of an underground methane explosion on May 9, 1992. The explosion resulted in the deaths of all 26 miners who were working underground at the time.-Background:...
having closed following the 1992 disaster there.
In 2005, Canada produced 67.3 million tonnes of coal and its consumption was 60 million tonnes. Of this 56 million tonnes were used for electricity generation. The remaining 4 million tonnes was used in the steel, concrete and other industries. The largest consumers of coal in Canada are Alberta and Ontario. In 1997, Alberta accounted for 47% of Canada's coal consumption at 26.2 million tonnes, and Ontario accounted for 25% at 13.8 million tonnes. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also use coal to generate electricity to varying degrees.