Coal is a common fuel used worldwide mainly in the production of electricity. It is used for cooling, heating, powering machines, charging mobile phones and even electric cars. It is also used in furnaces to produce metals like steel and can be used in the manufacturing of plastics, explosives, fertilisers, cement, bricks and tiles. Find out more about coal, its uses, how it is mined and processed the coal export industry in this fact sheet.

Students build a flowchart to summarise electricity production in coal-fired power stations.

How does coal generate electricity? This interactive 3D animated model explains the mechanisms of coal fired power. The generation of Queenslands coal fired power using latest technologies is shown in stages from Providing the Fuel to Cleaning the Gases.

Interactive detailing the mining and processing of copper, including the chemistry. Interactive balancing equation activities included for junior and senior students.Students interact with the major steps involved in copper processing. Includes animations, supporting fact sheets, and an interactive balancing chemical equations challenge. Great for general science and chemistry teachers.

Hydrogen when combined with oxygen produces considerable heat energy. This fact sheet explains how hydrogen energy is produced from both fossil fuel and renewable sources.

Oxyfuel combustion is a low emission technology that aims to achieve near zero carbon dioxide or C0 emissions from the production of coal fired electricity. This fact sheet explains further about this technology and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of using oxyfuel combustion.

This research program, which is being undertaken in cooperation with industry, takes an entirely new approach to way that we view the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is planned to continue for the next five years.

Read the blogs of a group of uni students aspiring to careers in the mining and energy sector. You can chat with them online, post comments, watch their videos on YouTube and stay in contact via Facebook.

The mining industry offers a wide and exciting range of career opportunities for men and women who are interested in receiving world class training and earning competitive salaries within operations utilising cutting edge technology.In this worksheet, students investigate six career paths from the MCA Careers Website and complete a number of questions.

The supply of oil and fuel is critical to transport systems that involve the movement of freight and people by air, rail and road. In Australia, reserves of accessible and inexpensive conventional oil to contribute to this demand are rapidly depleting. This fact sheet looks at the importance of oil shale, how it is mined, what it is used for a brief history.