How much coal is burned by a typical utility-scale thermal electric power plant producing about 1 GW of power?

A typical utility-scale thermal electric power plant producing about 1 GW of power requires a substantial amount of coal to operate efficiently. To produce that level of energy, a significant quantity of coal must be burned daily due to the energy content and combustion efficiency involved in coal-fired power generation.

The production of 1 GW sustained over a 24-hour period translates to generating substantial megawatt-hours per day. Coal power plants typically consume hundreds of tons of coal per hour to maintain this output. Given these operational demands, it's consistent with the scale of coal consumption that a power plant would burn enough coal each day to fill a trainload, which is approximately 100 train cars. This amount reflects both the energy needs of the plant and the energy density of coal.

In contrast to a truckload or even a weekly or yearly shipment by train, these alternatives significantly underestimate the amount of coal a 1 GW power plant would require for continuous operation. Thus, one trainload per day accurately represents the scale of coal combustion necessary to provide such a large amount of consistent electrical power.