The Coalgood coal processing and shipping complex near Harlan, KY, has been in operation since the early 1980’s. Most recently, it was owned by Alpha Natural Resources (ANR), which stopped operations in December 2012. We assembled a group of investors, formed JRL Coal (JRL), pursued the acquisition of Coalgood, renewed the leases on the surrounding coal fields, and restarted operations.
We are a full service provider and processor of high-quality thermal and metallurgical coal
Thermal coal
Also known as “Steam coal,” is traditionally the bulk of the coal market. It is used to generate steam, typically for electricity and power generation.
Met coal
Currently indispensable to the manufacturing of iron and steel. Met coal not only provides heat to the steel making process, it also provides carbon for the conversion from iron to steel.
Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) coal
Used in steelmaking, but it is not indispensable like met coal. It is a softer, non-coking coal which is pulverized and injected into the blast furnace to supply heat, which in return reduces energy use and emissions. It does not play a role in the iron-steel conversion, and cannot replace hard coking coal in that role.
Specialty coal
Catch-all name that has no specific definition. One example is “gasification coal”, which is commonly high sulfur, high volatiles, and low ash. Another is “Blue Gem” which is an extremely hard, high carbon, low impurities coal used to smelt silicon metal.
