Sustainable development and coal consumption in Slovakia

Abstract

The problem of the humanity of the present time is to ensure the energy needs, because the energy need is constantly increasing. It is determined by factors, e. g. the increasing number of inhabitants on Earth, the growing demands of people, etc. However, the limitation of fuel resources is a threat that humanity faces, and at the same time, the burning of fossil fuels also leads to serious damage to the environment. Currently, fossil fuels are mainly used for the heat production, electricity and for driving motor vehicles. The consumption of coal in Slovakia is also decreasing and today it is at the level of 5%, which is a decrease of more than 40% since 1980. Coal is mined in only one place in Slovakia and given the limited coal reserves we must import coal from abroad. In the Slovak thermal power plant Vojany occurs by coal combustion as an undesirable slag ash mixture deposited on the tailing pond. The new environmental solution uses waste at the tailings pond as a source of energy, the volume of coal mining will be reduced and at the same time the requirements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be fulfilled.