Coke is a porous, high-carbon fuel produced by heating coal in the absence of oxygen, driving off volatile compounds and leaving behind an almost pure carbon mass. It burns hotter and cleaner than raw coal and produces far less smoke, making it the preferred fuel and carbon source for blast furnaces and steelmaking. Without a reliable coke supply, no industrial metallurgical production is possible. The largest coke producer in Oceanyka is the Republic of Sydney, owing to the ample coalfields within its sphere of influence.
