Coal is a valuable and abundant fossil fuel resource found in Canada and around the world. Originating some 300 million years ago, it is a carbon-rich mineral deposit that was formed as organic plant matter decayed, compressed, and was altered by geological processes over millions of years. It is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that is extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit surface mining.

In the past, coal was an important resource because it heated homes, powered trains across Canada, and helped fuel our industrial development. Over the years, with the use of advanced technology, there have been dramatic changes in the processing and uses of coal, thereby positioning coal as a higher value energy source. Today, coal remains an enormously important fuel because it generates the largest single source of electricity worldwide, helps produce over 70% of the world's steel, and is used by other industrial processes like cement manufacturing. In the future, coal will continue to play a significant role in the energy mix for power generation.

The following sections will assist you in learning more about coal, as well as allow you to link to other coal related sites.