As a member of Canada's Energy BOT Squad here's what you need to know.

DOSSIER: CoalBOT

I’m super grounded. Extracting me is an important part of assembling the squad: I’m not just a powerful bot, I’m the oldest member. Canadians have been mining coal since 1685, which means that I’ve got no shortage of things to talk about… which is a bit of a mixed blessing.

Heating

If you let me, I’ll tell you about the glory days when coal was used for everything: transportation, home heating and punishing naughty children at Christmas. Nowadays, though, I’m primarily used to generate electricity.

Transportation

Coal-powered engines are a thing of the past. Sorry CoalBOT. The trains that used to be powered by coal-fired steam engines now run on diesel. But those trains continue to transport coal – the single largest commodity carried by Canadian railways.

Electricity

I am still responsible for about 12 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, but I know my days are numbered. Ontario is phasing out its coal generation facilities, and other coal facilities around the country will be retired by 2025.

How much?

Consider that coal is still largely shipped by train, and if the country’s coal reserves were all taken out of the ground, they’d weigh more than 15 million freight locomotives. Heavy stuff.

Where?

There are coal mines in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, which are enough to keep me powered up for a while. Alberta relies most heavily on coal-fired electricity, followed by Saskatchewan.

How does it work?

Getting me out of the ground’s a simple proposition in theory: digging. And I’m always a bit hot under the collar. It’s no surprise – I generate power by superheating water into steam to turn a generator’s turbines.

Special powers

One of the most important uses for coal (beyond power generation) is steel. I can be baked into coke which is then used to smelt iron. It’s a noble pursuit for a bot, making steel.

Global intelligence

Even if I’m not seeing as much work as I used to in Canada, coal is still the largest source of electricity in the world.

Next: Your next assignment: NuclearBOT. Here’s what we already know: You don’t need to be super to live on a cape. That’s the Point.