ATLAS - Molesevich Coal Preparation Plant, located at 325 Mulberry St., now in operation for three years, is ready to help residential coal consumers with a lower-cost option, as compared to home heating oil.
The plant is located at the former Savitski Brothers coal yard.
"We spent a good year of demolition, cleaning up and retrofitting everything before we opened," Jeff Molesevich, president, said. "We are the new guys on the block.
"Sales have been rising steadily for our fine coal, with Keystone Filler buying our coal for steel production." Molesevich said. "Anthracite is the coal of choice for steel mills because of its high carbon content. With its relatively low cost, it's the best bang for the buck.
"Last year was a stellar year, up 30 percent from year one to year two" he added.
Every time the price of home heating oil goes up, Molesevich sees a rise in sales for anthracite in home heating use.
"We saw the potential of anthracite usage for home heating with cheap affordable heat, and the sulfur content of our coal is less than 0.5 percent."
"A third of the market is the foreign market, primarily China, and Brazil has great potential," said Dennis Molesevich, secretary of Molesevich Coal Preparation plane and Jeff's father. "Sales slowed a bit last year when Chinese steel production fell off for a few months. Anthracite is also used in a variety of water filtration products, tires and even beer bottles."
Anthracite has been used in a wide range of industrial applications including carbon additives for open hearth, electric arc, ladle addition and slag foaming. Carbon raw material use is common for pot liners, electrodes and carbon black. As a fuel, it is used for steam, heat, power, foundries and blast furnaces.
Processed carbon is used in brick manufacturing, briquets carbide, carbonaceous filler, graphite, silicon carbide and wire and glass manufacturing.
One stigma Dennis Molesevich sees is that anthracite coal is seen as a "dirty fuel."
"A problem we have is that there is a major difference between bituminous and anthracite coal. The public thinks of all coal as being dirty and pollution producing," Dennis said. "Anthracite is clean-burning and new scrubber technology can eliminate 99.9 percent of the emissions. There are advances in liquefying coal for use in things like jet fuel and other applications that could revolutionize the industry and bring jobs to Pennsylvania."
Both Jeff and Dennis Molesevich see a bright future for anthracite coal, and not just for their industrial sales.
"It is alive and well," Jeff said. "We want to give back a little to the community in affordable heat. It's the people's alternative."