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Fossil fuel power plants concentrate energy by burning coal, natural gas, or oil to create heat, which is used to produce steam that powers a turbine and generator to create electricity. Coal is the most popular choice due to availability and cost-effectiveness, followed by natural gas, which is cleaner and easier to transport. Oil is used in areas where it is abundant, and small-scale power plants can operate similarly to car engines.
All power plants, from on-site generators to large-scale regional suppliers, essentially operate by concentrating diffuse energy rather than harvesting it. Often, heat energy is some of the easiest to concentrate. A fossil fuel power plant creates this heat by burning oil, natural gas or coal.
Most commonly, a fossil fuel power plant runs on steam generation. Coal, natural gas or oil are burned to heat water and produce steam. The steam is then forced onto the blades of a turbine, spinning the connected rotor. The spinning rotor powers a generator, which creates electricity that can be harvested. These plants typically recover about one-third of the thermal energy from the burnt fuel.
More rarely, a fossil fuel power plant can be powered by burning the fuel directly. In these cases, the hot air created by the combustion process spins the turbine. These systems have the advantage of being switched on and off more quickly. Reduced water consumption also reduces environmental damage. Negatively, these plants are less efficient than steam units.
Coal remains the popular choice for a fossil fuel power plant. In the United States, about 50 percent of all electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Other countries like South Africa and Poland are even more dependent on coal, with over 90% of all energy coming from fuel.
Charcoal plants are abundant for many reasons. In most areas, coal is by far the most readily available fuel. This often makes it the more cost-effective option as well. Also, coal-fired power plants were the first ones built and most are still in operation. Often, building an expensive new facility to replace an existing facility is not economically feasible.
Second in popularity among fossil fuels is natural gas. In some areas, natural gas is nearly as abundant as coal and, on average, comparable in cost. Gas weighs less than other fossil fuels and is often easier and cheaper to transport. In emergency situations, the flow of natural gas can generally be shut off immediately. Finally, natural gas burns cleaner than oil or coal and is therefore widely considered a more environmentally responsible choice for reducing air pollution.
A fossil fuel power plant works by burning crude oil. Although these plants account for less than 10% of the electricity produced in North American countries, they are the natural choice for areas where oil is more abundant. Sometimes, very small-scale power plants can operate on a combustion model very similar to a car engine. In these cases, oil is the logical choice.
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