Have questions about coal supply? Flamite’s comprehensive FAQ page provides insightful answers to frequently asked questions on coal products, categorization, storage, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned industry professional or new to coal procurement, this resource empowers you to make informed decisions about your coal supply needs.
It depends on boiler efficiencies. 1 ton of A Grade Coal ( 27.5 CV) could produce approximately 8 tons of steam, 1 ton of B Grade Coal (26.5 CV) could produce approximately 7.4 tons of steam.
If the boiler is maintained regularly and set up correctly for the coal type being burnt then the stack should burn clear.
Coal fired boilers used to be designed to burn A grade coal as it was both affordable and readily available in the past. Nowadays many different grades and types are burnt very successfully in different boiler houses around the country.
The energy in coal (Calorific Value or CV) is measured in megajoules so if you divide your delivered price by the CV you will get your Rand per gigajoule. This is a truer reflection of the cost to procure the energy contained in the coal than simply comparing delivered process across different coal sources.
No coal is graded according to its energy content (CV) as well as its size. An A grade coal has a CV higher than 27,5 MJ/kg, a B grade between 26,5 -27,5 MJ/kg, a C grade between 25,5 – 26,5 MJ/kg etc. A common misconception occurs when people discuss “export quality coal”. Richards Bay Coal Terminal typically exports 2 different grades measured at 6500 kcal/kg and 5500 kcal/kg. This equates to 27.21 MJ/kg (a B grade) and 23,03 MJ/kg (an F grade). To convert kcal/jg to MJ/kg multiply by 0.004187.
When designing a bunker the main considerations are how must stock the company needs to hold at any one time, the type of access available to the bunker site and the size of the trucks the company would like to receive (all measurements of trucks can be obtained from us).
Coal can be kept on an open stockpile / area as it will not lose any of its value / properties if exposed for short periods of time.
- Duff( 0mmx6mm)
- Grains (6mmx12mm)
- Peas (6mmx25mm)
- Small nuts (20mmx40mm)
- Large nuts (40mmx60mm)
These are typical sizes but do vary slightly depending on the mine.
Ash needs to be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. There are companies that specialise in ash removal. Please discuss this with your rep should you require further information.
Coal is tested daily on the mines and remitted to us on a monthly basis. These reports can be made available on request. We also conduct random independent testing to ensure that the mine is complying with the specification provided.
Our Flamite Cato Ridge depot acts as a back up to our KZN based clients – we have the capacity to store 20 000 tons of coal at any one time.
Our clients in other provinces have peace of mind knowing that we draw from a number of sources and have many trucks on the road at any one time to ensure that we can reroute should you run into an emergency.
With the sheer number of mines and suppliers on our books, there is no need to have the added overhead (and cost to our client) of a depot Gauteng as any number of sources can be drawn on as an when required.
Please contact one of our reps who would be happy to assist you in this regard.