Does Coal Have a Future?

... 21st Century Of all the types of hydrocarbons, coal has been in use the longest. China is known to have extracted coal as early as the 4 th century B.C. Unlike oil,... ... uncertain, with most western countries trying to lay the foundations for an emissions-free energy future and thus giving up the fuel. The developing world cannot afford to adopt... ... significant volumes of coal, it also imports between 20 and 25 million tonnes annually from Kazakhstan for electricity generation purposes in several cities across the Urals. It...