Levenmouth is a conurbation comprising a network of settlements on the north side of the Firth of Forth , in Fife on the east coast of Scotland . It consists of three principal coastal towns; Leven , Buckhaven , and Methil , and a number of villages and hamlets inland. The industrial towns of Buckhaven and Methil lie on the west bank of the River Leven , and the resort town of Leven is on the east bank. The "Bawbee Bridge" links the two sides of the river. Historically, Buckhaven and Methil were joined together as one burgh , while Leven was separate. The area had an estimated population of 37,238 in 2006.
80-548: Levenmouth's economy has traditionally been focused on heavy and traditional industries and has struggled economically since the closure of its coal mines. The main employers are Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. Bi-Fab, Diageo , Donaldson Timber, Pfaudler Balfour and Silberline. The area is named after the mouth of the River Leven. The word 'Leven' comes from the Pictish word for 'flood' and was originally given to Loch Leven ,
160-512: A cyclothem . Cyclothems are thought to have their origin in glacial cycles that produced fluctuations in sea level , which alternately exposed and then flooded large areas of continental shelf. The woody tissue of plants is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Modern peat is mostly lignin, with a content of cellulose and hemicellulose ranging from 5% to 40%. Various other organic compounds, such as waxes and nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, are also present. Lignin has
240-807: A Guinness brewery and tourist attraction in Baltimore County, Maryland . The brewery could potentially host as many as 300,000 visitors per year. In October 2021, Diageo completed a £185m investment in Scotch whisky tourism with the royal opening by Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay , of its centrepiece visitor centre in Edinburgh , Scotland , promoting the Johnnie Walker brand of blended Scotch whisky. In October 2021, Diageo announced plans to invest $ 500m to expand its manufacturing in Mexico for
320-912: A former Guinness brewery which had closed in 2004 after producing beer since 1936. Diageo's previous head office facility had been located in Henrietta Place , in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London, since 1996. In 2009, Diageo announced that it was closing the Henrietta Place facility as part of a cost reduction programme and moved its employees to the Park Royal site. Diageo operates in 180 countries across five regions: Europe , North America , Latin America ,
400-806: A major owner of hotels, owning what is now Intercontinental Hotels prior to divestment before merging into Diageo, but the company still owned the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire , which had hosted events including the Ryder Cup and G8 summit . In 2015 Diageo reached an agreement to sell the hotel to the Ennismore Group, already owners of The Hoxton hotels. In November 2016, Diageo announced its intention of selling at auction Sir Edwin Landseer 's iconic 1851 painting The Monarch of
480-689: A month ahead of plan after Menezes died on 7 June 2023. In May 2023, it was announced that Diageo has provided funding to establish the British Aluminium Consortium for Advance Alloys (BACALL), a collective of industry experts who will create a circular economy in the UK. In 1998, Diageo sold the John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. company including Aberfeldy , Aultmore , Craigellachie , Royal Brackla distilleries and Bombay Sapphire gin to Bacardi Limited . In 2001, Diageo acquired
560-539: A new luxury division to combine its luxury spirits and experiences, with brands like Brora , Port Ellen and the company's 15 brand homes and distiller experiences. The company said it would also help to grow Justerini & Brooks . Diageo's head office is in Great Marlborough Street , London after moving from its previous location in Park Royal , London Borough of Brent , on the site of
640-589: A number of brands, businesses, and assets which were not in the core alcoholic drinks category. The company has gradually disposed of these assets to focus on beverages as its core business. This included the sale of the Pillsbury Company to General Mills in 2000, and the 2002 sale of the Burger King fast food restaurant chain to a consortium led by US firm Texas Pacific for US$ 1.5 billion. The predecessor company Grand Metropolitan had been
720-512: A pedestrian suspension bridge was built at Leven, which was replaced by a three-arched stone bridge in 1840. The toll to cross this bridge was a Scottish halfpenny, or bawbee . Even though the stone bridge was replaced by a single-span bridge in 1957, it is still known locally as the ' Bawbee Brig '. In 1854 the Leven Railway opened, linking the town with Thornton Junction on the Edinburgh - Aberdeen main line. This helped it to become
800-761: A primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange . Diageo is an invented name that was created by the branding consultancy Wolff Olins in 1997. The name is composed of the Latin word diēs , meaning "day", and the Greek root geo- , meaning "earth"; and is meant to reference the company slogan "Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere". Diageo
880-417: A process called carbonization . Carbonization proceeds primarily by dehydration , decarboxylation , and demethanation. Dehydration removes water molecules from the maturing coal via reactions such as Decarboxylation removes carbon dioxide from the maturing coal: while demethanation proceeds by reaction such as In these formulas, R represents the remainder of a cellulose or lignin molecule to which
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#1732775871505960-487: A switch in fuels happened in London in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Historian Ruth Goodman has traced the socioeconomic effects of that switch and its later spread throughout Britain and suggested that its importance in shaping the industrial adoption of coal has been previously underappreciated. The development of the Industrial Revolution led to the large-scale use of coal, as
1040-561: A tenth. Indonesia and Australia export the most, followed by Russia . The word originally took the form col in Old English , from reconstructed Proto-Germanic * kula ( n ), from Proto-Indo-European root * g ( e ) u-lo- "live coal". Germanic cognates include the Old Frisian kole , Middle Dutch cole , Dutch kool , Old High German chol , German Kohle and Old Norse kol . Irish gual
1120-721: A third of its electricity . Some iron and steel -making and other industrial processes burn coal. The extraction and burning of coal damages the environment , causing premature death and illness, and it is the largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide contributing to climate change . Fourteen billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted by burning coal in 2020, which is 40% of total fossil fuel emissions and over 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions . As part of worldwide energy transition , many countries have reduced or eliminated their use of coal power . The United Nations Secretary General asked governments to stop building new coal plants by 2020. Global coal use
1200-511: A tourist resort popular with visitors from the west of Scotland, and particularly Glasgow . Later in the 19th century the Leven Railway became part of a loop line of the North British Railway linking Thornton Junction and Leuchars Junction via St Andrews . The railway between Leven and St Andrews closed in 1964/65. The railway between Leven and Thornton Junction closed to freight in 1966 and passengers in 1969. On 8 August 2019,
1280-403: A weight basis. This composition reflects partly the composition of the precursor plants. The second main fraction of coal is ash, an undesirable, noncombustable mixture of inorganic minerals. The composition of ash is often discussed in terms of oxides obtained after combustion in air: Of particular interest is the sulfur content of coal, which can vary from less than 1% to as much as 4%. Most of
1360-406: A weight composition of about 54% carbon, 6% hydrogen, and 30% oxygen, while cellulose has a weight composition of about 44% carbon, 6% hydrogen, and 49% oxygen. Bituminous coal has a composition of about 84.4% carbon, 5.4% hydrogen, 6.7% oxygen, 1.7% nitrogen, and 1.8% sulfur, on a weight basis. The low oxygen content of coal shows that coalification removed most of the oxygen and much of the hydrogen
1440-504: A £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky production over the following five years, with at least one new distillery to be constructed, several existing facilities to be expanded, and overall production capacity to be increased by 30 to 40 per cent. In December 2015, Diageo announced a US$ 10 million investment in Danish whisky brand Stauning , to facilitate expansion of production. In February 2017, Diageo announced plans to open
1520-506: Is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock , formed as rock strata called coal seams . Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements , chiefly hydrogen , sulfur , oxygen , and nitrogen . Coal is a type of fossil fuel , formed when dead plant matter decays into peat which is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years. Vast deposits of coal originate in former wetlands called coal forests that covered much of
1600-624: Is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London , England . It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40 percent of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker , J&B and Old Parr . Its leading brands outside whisky include Guinness , Smirnoff , Baileys liqueur, Captain Morgan rum and Tanqueray and Gordon's gin . Diageo has
1680-636: Is also a cognate via the Indo-European root. The conversion of dead vegetation into coal is called coalification . At various times in the geologic past, the Earth had dense forests in low-lying areas. In these wetlands, the process of coalification began when dead plant matter was protected from oxidation , usually by mud or acidic water, and was converted into peat . The resulting peat bogs , which trapped immense amounts of carbon, were eventually deeply buried by sediments. Then, over millions of years,
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#17327758715051760-429: Is burned in a turbine). Hot exhaust gases from the turbine are used to raise steam in a heat recovery steam generator which powers a supplemental steam turbine . The overall plant efficiency when used to provide combined heat and power can reach as much as 94%. IGCC power plants emit less local pollution than conventional pulverized coal-fueled plants. Other ways to use coal are as coal-water slurry fuel (CWS), which
1840-603: Is entirely vertical; however, metamorphism may cause lateral changes of rank, irrespective of depth. For example, some of the coal seams of the Madrid, New Mexico coal field were partially converted to anthracite by contact metamorphism from an igneous sill while the remainder of the seams remained as bituminous coal. The earliest recognized use is from the Shenyang area of China where by 4000 BC Neolithic inhabitants had begun carving ornaments from black lignite. Coal from
1920-455: Is made when metallurgical coal (also known as coking coal ) is baked in an oven without oxygen at temperatures as high as 1,000 °C, driving off the volatile constituents and fusing together the fixed carbon and residual ash. Metallurgical coke is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace . The carbon monoxide produced by its combustion reduces hematite (an iron oxide ) to iron. Pig iron , which
2000-409: Is more abundant, and anthracite. The % carbon in coal follows the order anthracite > bituminous > lignite > brown coal. The fuel value of coal varies in the same order. Some anthracite deposits contain pure carbon in the form of graphite . For bituminous coal, the elemental composition on a dry, ash-free basis of 84.4% carbon, 5.4% hydrogen, 6.7% oxygen, 1.7% nitrogen, and 1.8% sulfur, on
2080-452: Is used as fuel. 27.6% of world energy was supplied by coal in 2017 and Asia used almost three-quarters of it. Other large-scale applications also exist. The energy density of coal is roughly 24 megajoules per kilogram (approximately 6.7 kilowatt-hours per kg). For a coal power plant with a 40% efficiency, it takes an estimated 325 kg (717 lb) of coal to power a 100 W lightbulb for one year. In 2022, 68% of global coal use
2160-437: Is working towards creating a heritage centre for Fife's railway heritage with the additional proposal of running a heritage railway on the current mothballed Leven Railway . Levenmouth suffers from poor connections to the rail and main road network of Central Scotland, particularly since the closure of the last railway link in 1969, which came at the same time as the collapse of coal mining. The knock-on effect virtually sealed
2240-715: The Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC), where it formed part of funeral pyres . In Roman Britain , with the exception of two modern fields, "the Romans were exploiting coals in all the major coalfields in England and Wales by the end of the second century AD". Evidence of trade in coal, dated to about AD 200, has been found at the Roman settlement at Heronbridge , near Chester ; and in the Fenlands of East Anglia , where coal from
2320-581: The Cîroc vodka brand, and this led to the joint purchase of the DeLeón Tequila brand in 2013. The partnership was terminated in 2024 after a legal dispute, leaving Diageo the sole owner of both brands. In 2007, Diageo sold the inactive Port Charlotte distillery buildings and contents to The Bruichladdich Distillery Co. Ltd. In 2010, Diageo opened Roseisle distillery at cost of £40million. In 2010, Diageo closed Port Dundas grain distillery that
2400-521: The Fushun mine in northeastern China was used to smelt copper as early as 1000 BC. Marco Polo , the Italian who traveled to China in the 13th century, described coal as "black stones ... which burn like logs", and said coal was so plentiful, people could take three hot baths a week. In Europe, the earliest reference to the use of coal as fuel is from the geological treatise On Stones (Lap. 16) by
2480-607: The Midlands was transported via the Car Dyke for use in drying grain. Coal cinders have been found in the hearths of villas and Roman forts , particularly in Northumberland , dated to around AD 400. In the west of England, contemporary writers described the wonder of a permanent brazier of coal on the altar of Minerva at Aquae Sulis (modern day Bath ), although in fact easily accessible surface coal from what became
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2560-616: The Sazerac Company for US$ 550 million, but kept the Seagram's Seven Crown brand. In September 2022, Diageo sold Archers brand to De Kuyper Royal Distillers. In November 2022, it was announced that Diageo would acquire Balcones Distilling, a whiskey distillery based in Texas . In October 2023, Diageo sold Windsor Global, which owns blended Scotch brand Windsor, to private equity firm PT W Co of South Korea , sponsored by
2640-728: The Somerset coalfield was in common use in quite lowly dwellings locally. Evidence of coal's use for iron -working in the city during the Roman period has been found. In Eschweiler , Rhineland , deposits of bituminous coal were used by the Romans for the smelting of iron ore . No evidence exists of coal being of great importance in Britain before about AD 1000, the High Middle Ages . Coal came to be referred to as "seacoal" in
2720-491: The coal gap in the Permian–Triassic extinction event , where coal is rare. Favorable geography alone does not explain the extensive Carboniferous coal beds. Other factors contributing to rapid coal deposition were high oxygen levels, above 30%, that promoted intense wildfires and formation of charcoal that was all but indigestible by decomposing organisms; high carbon dioxide levels that promoted plant growth; and
2800-399: The steam engine took over from the water wheel . In 1700, five-sixths of the world's coal was mined in Britain. Britain would have run out of suitable sites for watermills by the 1830s if coal had not been available as a source of energy. In 1947 there were some 750,000 miners in Britain, but the last deep coal mine in the UK closed in 2015. A grade between bituminous coal and anthracite
2880-538: The 'flood lake' at the head of the river. The first mention of the town of 'Leven' was made in two separate records in the mid-15th century, with urgent need for repair work at the monastery at 'levynnis-mouth' and George Durie – an estate owner – became the keeper of the harbour at 'levynnismouth'. Until 1821, the only bridge across the river was the Cameron Brig on the main Kirkcaldy - Cupar road. In that year
2960-407: The 13th century; the wharf where the material arrived in London was known as Seacoal Lane, so identified in a charter of King Henry III granted in 1253. Initially, the name was given because much coal was found on the shore, having fallen from the exposed coal seams on cliffs above or washed out of underwater coal outcrops, but by the time of Henry VIII , it was understood to derive from the way it
3040-596: The Carboniferous, and suggested that climatic and tectonic factors were a more plausible explanation, reconstruction of ancestral enzymes by phylogenetic analysis corroborated a hypothesis that lignin degrading enzymes appeared in fungi approximately 200 MYa. One likely tectonic factor was the Central Pangean Mountains , an enormous range running along the equator that reached its greatest elevation near this time. Climate modeling suggests that
3120-663: The Caribbean , Asia Pacific and Africa . Diageo also owns a 34% stake in the Moet Hennessy drinks division of French luxury goods company LVMH . In 2017, the company was awarded top place in the Institute of Directors ' and Chartered Quality Institute 's Good Governance Index. Diageo operates many whisky distilleries in Scotland and around the world: Diageo's beverage brands include: Coal Coal
3200-598: The Central Pangean Mountains contributed to the deposition of vast quantities of coal in the late Carboniferous. The mountains created an area of year-round heavy precipitation, with no dry season typical of a monsoon climate. This is necessary for the preservation of peat in coal swamps. Coal is known from Precambrian strata, which predate land plants. This coal is presumed to have originated from residues of algae. Sometimes coal seams (also known as coal beds) are interbedded with other sediments in
3280-407: The Earth's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous ( Pennsylvanian ) and Permian times. Coal is used primarily as a fuel. While coal has been known and used for thousands of years, its usage was limited until the Industrial Revolution . With the invention of the steam engine , coal consumption increased. In 2020, coal supplied about a quarter of the world's primary energy and over
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3360-672: The Glen – which the company owned, but which has been on loan to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh since 1999 – as it has "no direct link to our business or brands", being used on the label of rival brand Glenfiddich , owned by William Grant & Sons . Following a fundraising campaign, the painting was sold to the National Galleries of Scotland for around half its assayed value of £8 million. In 2015,
3440-577: The Greek scientist Theophrastus (c. 371–287 BC): Among the materials that are dug because they are useful, those known as anthrakes [coals] are made of earth, and, once set on fire, they burn like charcoal [anthrakes]. They are found in Liguria ;... and in Elis as one approaches Olympia by the mountain road; and they are used by those who work in metals. Outcrop coal was used in Britain during
3520-535: The Pine Tree Investment & Management Co. In February 2024, a report claimed Diageo was looking to sell the brands Pimm's , Safari and Pampero Rum . Both Safari and Pampero rum were sold in July 2024. In 19 March 2024, Diageo reopened Port Ellen distillery after 40 years been closed and a £185 million (US$ 235m) restoration. In November 2024, the company formed Diageo Luxury Group,
3600-498: The Scottish Government announced that the line between Thornton Junction and Leven would reopen within five years. With the growth of coal mining and activity at Methil docks, the two towns of Buckhaven and Methil expanded until they were merged into a single burgh in 1891. In 1975, the burghs were replaced by a two-tier system of Regional Councils and smaller District Councils . At this time Levenmouth fell under
3680-538: The boundary east along Largo Bay, and the boundary of Ward 23 includes West Wemyss at its western end. In 2006, the population of Ward 22 (Leven, Kennoway and Largo) was 18,425 and that of Ward 23 (Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages) was 18,813, making a total of 37,238 people in the expanded committee area. As of 2007 the Levenmouth Area Committee covers the following settlements : Leven boasts two golf courses, Scoonie and Leven Links -
3760-546: The brand after agreeing to sell Bushmills Irish whiskey to Proximo Spirits , who had since acquired Jose Cuervo, in exchange for US$ 408 million and full ownership of the tequila brand. In 2004, Diageo sold the inactive Coleburn distillery buildings and contents to the Winchester Brothers with plans to transform the distillery grounds into a whisky resort. Diageo formed a relationship with rapper Sean Combs in an "equal-share venture" in 2007 to promote
3840-635: The category. Whilst Diageo did acquire South African beer producer United National Breweries (UNB) in April 2015 shortly before the Red Stripe sale was made, they divested it again in the second half of 2019. In December 2023 it was speculated in the media that Diageo would exit from the beer market entirely, potentially including the Guinness brand, but this was denied by the company. The business has grown with purchases of alcohol businesses around
3920-828: The closure of the coal mining industry. The major employer now is the drinks manufacturer Diageo which has its main bottling plant in Leven, and one of the largest distilleries in the world at nearby Windygates. The Fife Energy Park opened in 2008, producing wind turbines at the former oil-rig building yard in Methil which was itself built on the former Wellesley Colliery. On 15 June 2021 the transport minister Graeme Dey announced that rail services would be reintroduced to Levenmouth with an electrified dual-track railway. 56°12′N 3°0′W / 56.200°N 3.000°W / 56.200; -3.000 Diageo Diageo plc ( / d i ˈ æ dʒ i oʊ / dee- AJ -ee-oh )
4000-546: The collapsed Seagram 's spirits and wine businesses which included Captain Morgan and Seagram's blended whiskey. In 2002.Diageo sold Malibu rum to Allied Domecq for £560m ($ 800m). In 2002, Diageo sold the inactive Rosebank distillery buildings and contents to British Waterways . Diageo acquired a 50% stake in Don Julio tequila through a joint venture with owner Jose Cuervo , for which they paid US$ 100 million in 2003. They later obtained full ownership of
4080-461: The company made major sales in both the beer and wine categories, selling the Red Stripe beer brand, along with interests in other breweries, and the rights to Guinness in some territories to Heineken , as well as the sale of most of its wine business to Treasury Wine Estates . The separate 2019 sale of the remaining wine brands including Navarro Correas and Chalone Vineyard saw Diageo exit
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#17327758715054160-400: The control of Kirkcaldy District Council as part of the region of Fife . Further reforms in 1996 saw Fife Council become one of 32 unitary authorities . Under the 1996 scheme Levenmouth is administered by an Area Committee of Fife Council. The boundaries were adjusted in 2007 to reflect the wards created for the introduction of proportional representation in local elections. Ward 22 extends
4240-430: The evolution of the first trees . But bacteria and fungi did not immediately evolve the ability to decompose lignin, so the wood did not fully decay but became buried under sediment, eventually turning into coal. About 300 million years ago, mushrooms and other fungi developed this ability, ending the main coal-formation period of earth's history. Although some authors pointed at some evidence of lignin degradation during
4320-519: The factors involved in coalification, temperature is much more important than either pressure or time of burial. Subbituminous coal can form at temperatures as low as 35 to 80 °C (95 to 176 °F) while anthracite requires a temperature of at least 180 to 245 °C (356 to 473 °F). Although coal is known from most geologic periods , 90% of all coal beds were deposited in the Carboniferous and Permian periods. Paradoxically, this
4400-653: The fate of Methil Docks as a major port on the East of Scotland. There have been a number of unsuccessful attempts to restore a passenger rail connection to Leven, the Leven rail link . Leven is linked to Kirkcaldy by the A915 Standing Stone Road and Methil to Kirkcaldy through Dysart and East/West Wemyss, but the main A92 road through Fife bypasses the area. Very little remains in the way of major employment since
4480-498: The form of iron pyrite (FeS 2 ). Being a dense mineral, it can be removed from coal by mechanical means, e.g. by froth flotation . Some sulfate occurs in coal, especially weathered samples. It is not volatilized and can be removed by washing. Minor components include: As minerals, Hg, As, and Se are not problematic to the environment, especially since they are only trace components. They become however mobile (volatile or water-soluble) when these minerals are combusted. Most coal
4560-475: The heat and pressure of deep burial caused the loss of water, methane and carbon dioxide and increased the proportion of carbon. The grade of coal produced depended on the maximum pressure and temperature reached, with lignite (also called "brown coal") produced under relatively mild conditions, and sub-bituminous coal , bituminous coal , or anthracite coal (also called "hard coal" or "black coal") produced in turn with increasing temperature and pressure. Of
4640-431: The increasing tendency of the anthracite to break with a conchoidal fracture , similar to the way thick glass breaks. As geological processes apply pressure to dead biotic material over time, under suitable conditions, its metamorphic grade or rank increases successively into: There are several international standards for coal. The classification of coal is generally based on the content of volatiles . However
4720-611: The latter being used as a qualifying course for The Open when the tournament is being played at the Old Course at St Andrews . There are also several other courses in the surrounding area notably Lundin Links , Elie and Crail . Bayview Stadium is home to First Division East Fife Football Club . There is also work being undertaking on the former Kirkland railway marshalling yard which the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society
4800-419: The majority stake in Seedlip , a non-alcoholic spirits brand. In October 2022, it was announced Diageo had acquired the Australian cold brew coffee liqueur brand, Mr Black. In September 2024, it was announced Diageo had acquired Ritual Zero Proof a non-alcoholic spirits brand. In March 2023, it was announced that Debra Crew would succeed Sir Ivan Menezes as CEO of the company. Crew started her role
4880-453: The morphology and some properties of the original plant. In many coals, individual macerals can be identified visually. Some macerals include: In coalification huminite is replaced by vitreous (shiny) vitrinite . Maturation of bituminous coal is characterized by bitumenization , in which part of the coal is converted to bitumen , a hydrocarbon-rich gel. Maturation to anthracite is characterized by debitumenization (from demethanation) and
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#17327758715054960-405: The most important distinction is between thermal coal (also known as steam coal), which is burnt to generate electricity via steam; and metallurgical coal (also known as coking coal), which is burnt at high temperature to make steel . Hilt's law is a geological observation that (within a small area) the deeper the coal is found, the higher its rank (or grade). It applies if the thermal gradient
5040-407: The nature of Carboniferous forests, which included lycophyte trees whose determinate growth meant that carbon was not tied up in heartwood of living trees for long periods. One theory suggested that about 360 million years ago, some plants evolved the ability to produce lignin , a complex polymer that made their cellulose stems much harder and more woody. The ability to produce lignin led to
5120-455: The number of double bonds between carbon). As carbonization proceeds, aliphatic compounds convert to aromatic compounds . Similarly, aromatic rings fuse into polyaromatic compounds (linked rings of carbon atoms). The structure increasingly resembles graphene , the structural element of graphite. Chemical changes are accompanied by physical changes, such as decrease in average pore size. The macerals are coalified plant parts that retain
5200-456: The pre-combustion treatment, turbine technology (e.g. supercritical steam generator ) and the age of the plant. A few integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants have been built, which burn coal more efficiently. Instead of pulverizing the coal and burning it directly as fuel in the steam-generating boiler, the coal is gasified to create syngas , which is burned in a gas turbine to produce electricity (just like natural gas
5280-427: The reacting groups are attached. Dehydration and decarboxylation take place early in coalification, while demethanation begins only after the coal has already reached bituminous rank. The effect of decarboxylation is to reduce the percentage of oxygen, while demethanation reduces the percentage of hydrogen. Dehydration does both, and (together with demethanation) reduces the saturation of the carbon backbone (increasing
5360-399: The sulfur and most of the nitrogen is incorporated into the organic fraction in the form of organosulfur compounds and organonitrogen compounds . This sulfur and nitrogen are strongly bound within the hydrocarbon matrix. These elements are released as SO 2 and NO x upon combustion. They cannot be removed, economically at least, otherwise. Some coals contain inorganic sulfur, mainly in
5440-451: The tequila category. Construction of the new facilities in Jalisco , Mexico is expected to begin in 2021. Diageo announced plans to build a €200 million brewery in Newbridge in July 2022. In February 2024, High Court proceedings were lodged against An Bord Pleanála by an Athy resident opposing the decision to approve the project. After mediation talks with Diageo, the challenge was withdrawn in April. In August 2019, Diageo bought
5520-415: The world's coal-generated electricity. Efforts around the world to reduce the use of coal have led some regions to switch to natural gas and renewable energy . In 2018 coal-fired power station capacity factor averaged 51%, that is they operated for about half their available operating hours. Coke is a solid carbonaceous residue that is used in manufacturing steel and other iron-containing products. Coke
5600-471: The world, including the 2011 part-ownership and 2013 full acquisition of the Chinese baijiu manufacturer Sichuan Shuijingfang Company in China. The company further acquired Turkish liquor company Mey Icki for US$ 2.1 billion in 2011, and in 2012 followed this with Brazilian cachaça manufacturer Ypióca for £300 million, and the Indian United Spirits which they acquired a majority stake for £1.28 billion. In June 2012, Diageo announced
5680-455: Was 8.3 billion tonnes in 2022, and is set to remain at record levels in 2023. To meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 2 °C (3.6 °F) coal use needs to halve from 2020 to 2030, and "phasing down" coal was agreed upon in the Glasgow Climate Pact . The largest consumer and importer of coal in 2020 was China , which accounts for almost half the world's annual coal production, followed by India with about
5760-574: Was based on the trading of this commodity. Coal continues to arrive on beaches around the world from both natural erosion of exposed coal seams and windswept spills from cargo ships. Many homes in such areas gather this coal as a significant, and sometimes primary, source of home heating fuel. Coal consists mainly of a black mixture of diverse organic compounds and polymers. Of course, several kinds of coals exist, with variable dark colors and variable compositions. Young coals (brown coal, lignite) are not black. The two main black coals are bituminous, which
5840-510: Was carried to London by sea. In 1257–1259, coal from Newcastle upon Tyne was shipped to London for the smiths and lime -burners building Westminster Abbey . Seacoal Lane and Newcastle Lane, where coal was unloaded at wharves along the River Fleet , still exist. These easily accessible sources had largely become exhausted (or could not meet the growing demand) by the 13th century, when underground extraction by shaft mining or adits
5920-512: Was demolished in 2011. In March 2016, the company sold Grand Marnier , a cognac and bitter orange-based liqueur, to the Italian beverage company Campari Group . In June 2017, the Casamigos tequila brand – a US-based tequila, launched in 2013 was acquired by Diageo. In November 2018, Diageo sold Seagram's whiskey brand, along with Myers's Rum , Popov vodka, Booth's Gin , Goldschläger , Yukon Jack , Sambuca , and 11 other brands to
6000-612: Was developed in the Soviet Union , or in an MHD topping cycle . However these are not widely used due to lack of profit. In 2017 38% of the world's electricity came from coal, the same percentage as 30 years previously. In 2018 global installed capacity was 2 TW (of which 1TW is in China) which was 30% of total electricity generation capacity. The most dependent major country is South Africa, with over 80% of its electricity generated by coal; but China alone generates more than half of
6080-408: Was developed. The alternative name was "pitcoal", because it came from mines. Cooking and home heating with coal (in addition to firewood or instead of it) has been done in various times and places throughout human history, especially in times and places where ground-surface coal was available and firewood was scarce, but a widespread reliance on coal for home hearths probably never existed until such
6160-497: Was during the Late Paleozoic icehouse , a time of global glaciation . However, the drop in global sea level accompanying the glaciation exposed continental shelves that had previously been submerged, and to these were added wide river deltas produced by increased erosion due to the drop in base level . These widespread areas of wetlands provided ideal conditions for coal formation. The rapid formation of coal ended with
6240-532: Was formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan . Its creation was driven by the executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea at Guinness, along with George Bull and John McGrath of Grand Metropolitan. Anthony Greener was the first executive chairman. Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997. As a legacy of the merger, Diageo owned
6320-627: Was once known as "steam coal" as it was widely used as a fuel for steam locomotives . In this specialized use, it is sometimes known as "sea coal" in the United States. Small "steam coal", also called dry small steam nuts (DSSN), was used as a fuel for domestic water heating . Coal played an important role in industry in the 19th and 20th century. The predecessor of the European Union , the European Coal and Steel Community ,
6400-430: Was used for electricity generation. Coal burnt in coal power stations to generate electricity is called thermal coal . It is usually pulverized and then burned in a furnace with a boiler . The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam , which is then used to spin turbines which turn generators and create electricity. The thermodynamic efficiency of this process varies between about 25% and 50% depending on
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