Petroleum coke or pet coke, is a solid carbon rich(90% carbon and 3% to 6% sulfur) material derivedfrom oil refining. It is categorized as a “bottom of the barrel” fuel.It is a dirtier alternative to coal and emits 11% moregreenhouse gases than coal and nearly 17 timesmore sulphur than coal.
Petcoke is a source of fine dust which can getlodged in the lungs. It may contain vanadium
which is a toxic metal.Sulphur-heavy petcoke and other polluting fuelssuch as furnace oil are widely used by cementfactories, dyeing units, paper mills, brick kilns andceramics businesses.
India is the world’s largest consumer of petcokeand imports over half its annual pet cokeconsumption mainly from the United States.