Prospects for Coal Briquettes as a Substitute Fuel for Wood and ...

16
and ash contents and high in fixed carbon that carbonization is
unnecessary for a ,smoke1 ess fuel. Hwever, anthracites are re1 atively
rare.
E. THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH 3RIQUETTING PND CARBONIZING COAL
INDICATE A SELLING PRICE FOR SNOKELESS COAL BRIQUETTES IN
SOME URBAN AREAS THAT MAKE THEM CX)MPETITIVE W I T H FUELWOOD AND
CHrnCQK.
Fabuss and Tatm C6l estimate the costs of constructing a 100 metric ton
par day (coal input) briquetting and carbonization plant for Pakistan.
Whdfo this is a moderately sized plant and to a certaln extent tied to
conditions found in Pakistanr a review of their estimates can give an
idea of the econmic viabil ity of the coal brlquetting/carbonization
techno1 ogy.
The plant viwed in thelr scenario takes the path of an "intermediate
technology." It would be capable of recovering the coal tar and oil,
but none of the U~QUS liquors. The process off-gas would be used to
generate 100% of the power rquirements for the plant. Uti1 izing
Pakistan's high sulfur lignite coal, the briquettes would be formed
without a binder, but 1 ime would have to be added prior to briquetting
to reduce sul fur missions. The plant would have 66 tons per day output
of mokel ess coal briquettes. The ratio of 100 tons per day coal input
to 66 tons per day output of smokeless coal briquettes was figured for a
ticular Pakistani coalr and other coals would give varying yields.
ever, the PO0 to 66 ratio is In the middle of a range of about 55% to
75% that might be expected from various coals.
Total investment costs, including the cost of installed equipment, site
preparation, bui 1 di rigs, engi neeri ng and conti ngenci esa are put at
2,130,000 U.S. dollars (1982$). About half of this amount would be
rqui red tn foreign exchange. Operating co~ts, including coalr 1 ime,
1 abor, mai ntenancep 1 oan reti r ent, a 25% prof it on these manufacturing
costs, and transportation brlng the price of smokeles 1 briquettes
to 1528 Pakistani rupees (Rs.) per metric ton of oil ival ent (TOE)
anywhere within a one hundred mile radius of the plan By varying
the scale of the plant, Fabuss and Tatcxn further estimate that the cost
of smokeless coal briquettes per TOE would be Rs. 1622, Rs. 1466, and
Rs. 1407 for plants with coal inputs of 25, 300, and 1,000 metric tons
(tonnes) per dayr respectively. 3y c parison, fir ood costs a87
average of Rs. 2117/TOE. Thusl the coal briquetti ng/carbonination
operation appears to be econcmical ly competitive, Moreover, this is the
case without even considering the potential value of the coal tar byproduct.
If a market for this can be found, wen if used only as boiler
fuel, either plant profits could be raised or the price of the mokeless
1/ In 1982 when the cost estimates were mader 1 US$ equalled
approximately 12 Rs. In 1985, the exchange rate is approximately 1
US$ t o 16 Rs.