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Monday, 20 February 12
COAL BOOM AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN - SUNIL K KUMBHAT
 COALspot.com - The dawn of the 21st century has seen a shift in the world's commercial balance of power, with the dominance of the US, Europe and Japan challenged by the rapid industrialisation of hungry new economies. The rise of the so-called BRIIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India ,Indonesia and China - is giving birth to new global financial centres, vibrant industrial markets and above all surging demand for raw materials to supply new projects.
But where does environmental responsibility fit into this drive for resources?
Growing demand for thermal Coal has created a new coal boom, which is great news for Coal producing countries such as Indonesia, Australia , south Africa . The demand of coal is growing at a massive rate in Asia particularly India and China. Both the coal hungry countries are making efforts to secure supplies by acquiring Coal mines or forming Joint ventures for their new power generating plants.
The demand is fuelling the world prices of coal, although prices are still not as high as witnessed in 2008 when everything peaked before the global financial crisis but there all indications that by 2012/2013 coal prises will reach to record high.
The India and China are becoming the mainstay of the market . Both the countries are having huge Coal reserves ,but still they are importing huge qty of coal to meet there increased demand and as such they are effectively driving the world Coal market and its prices. India’s demand for coal is expected to grow at a faster rate than any other country in the world.
India's rich untapped mineral resources of more than 20 mineral types - including gold, copper, coal and bauxite but the fact that many of these resources are located in rural, heavily forested areas with predominantly tribal populations has raised concerns over the environmental impact of mining operations.
The country has a long history of environmental damage caused by both domestic and international mining companies, as well as the ecological problems from hundreds of abandoned mines in areas like Bihar's Jharia and Rhaniganj coal fields. Like China, India has been plagued by the environmental problems associated with illegal and unlicensed mining operations, which the country's Directorate General of Mines Safety has been ill-equipped to deal with due to funding deficiencies.
Similarly China has come under fire from human rights activists and environmental groups alike for its arguably lax approach to both worker safety (the country has become the mining disaster capital of the world in recent years) and environmental accountability. The Chinese Government's approach to corporate and environmental responsibility has been characterised by outside observers as simply paying lip service to the environment - hinting that ISO guidelines for mining would be welcomed - without implementing practical measures to promote change.
The environmental impact of mining operations in Brazil is also under sharper scrutiny than many other countries, primarily because its borders contain the lion's share of the Amazon rainforest, a haven for biodiversity and one of the most important eco-systems in the world.
As such, environmental awareness is particularly strong in the Brazilian mining industry. Experts from the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards are playing a leadership role in the further development of the recently introduced ISO 26000 international standard on social responsibility. Furthermore, licensing for new mining projects is often legally conditional on the drafting of comprehensive environmental impact studies, reports and extensive public consultations, particularly in areas inhabited by tribal groups.
Although carrying out mining operations in a region like the Amazon will be controversial, the environmental commitment seen here and echoed by many other Brazilian mining companies (including industry giant Vale, which has a complex environmental quality management system based on ISO 14001 standards) provides a useful model of awareness for other BRIC nations, and the global mining industry in general, to follow.
India is emerging as a fast economy, targeting 9-10% annual growth. Realizing the underlying growth potential will largely depend on it's ability to meet energy requirements. Energy sector whose growth targets inter alia depend on coal. At a 9% growth rate, the capacity requirement will be 960Gw and energy requirement will be 4,806 billion kWh. In the light of these projections, coal demand is estimated to rise many fold. Main concentration of Indian companies remains in Indonesia as many new mines are opened for exploration , exploitation and production .Today Indonesia is one of the most rapidly developing coal producing country in the world.
For a strong economy, one needs strong infrastructure and power plants. For strong infrastructure and power plants , one needs steel. Steel is the backbone of an economy, and it is metallurgical coal and thermal coal that is used to produce steel and electricity.
An increase in Coal production is the opposite of what the global climate change forums have wanted to see because coal without any doubt is one of the dirtiest and filthiest fossil fuel in terms of CO2 and when it comes to harmful emissions that most environmentalists and energy economists agree causes global warming.
Coal consumption is going in a direction that policy makers would prefer it not to go.
Critical question is whether there is a willingness amongst coal producers and power generating plants to make their technology cleaner, so it emits less greenhouse gases(GHG) which leads to global warming .Energy scientists have long been voicing concern on the rise in the level of Greenhouse gases, which leads to Global warming and climatic changes that are detrimental to economies worldwide.
The disastrous consequences for global climate change is one topic that has now taken very serious dimension but hardly been realised in a serious enough way by the nations across the world.
The new thermal plants being built are certainly more efficient than older ones. There exist technology to have emission-free power plants - the only constraint is the cost. The cost of clean coal technology is very high, yet when we look at the alternatives to coal, they are even higher than that - for example, nuclear, solar, wind. The real costs of all these alternatives are still to be determined, but there is no doubt that clean coal technologies can double the cost of coal in generating energy.
None of the alternatives appears to be commercially viable right now for required generation of energy without considering subsidies and tax incentives . If any country accepts sustainable growth and development as the way forward, it subsumes the climate change issues.
At the same time, no country can ignore the inherent contradiction in the expression ‘sustainable growth’.
Growth essentially involves exploiting natural resources for human benefit and countries have to strike a delicate balance between environmental sustainability and economic growth. It is easier said than done.
As the climate issue impinges on everyone, wisdom demands that nations sink their petty differences in approach and strategy to stem the danger from spreading further and squeezing the survival prospects of one and all.
Principally, the efforts boil down to reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, caused primarily by accelerated economic development through exploitation of fossil fuels rich in carbon dioxide.
Every action does not need to be official or based on protocols. In any case, every country need to adopt new methods and ways of doing things in optimising the use of exhaustible resources, energy and water. Corporations / Institutions must carry out energy analysis and incorporate environmental accounting practices to reduce green house gas emission levels at their facilities. The government, in turn, could enforce a form of taxation based on companies’ contribution to climate change.
Climate change is today's biggest problem, threatening mankind with extinction. The problem, largely of man's own doing, must be treated as an emergency by all.
The president of Indonesia issued a Presidential decree instructing all central and regional authorities to support the moratorium by suspending the granting of permits for the use of “primary natural forests” for two years. This Presidential decree is part of Indonesia’s efforts to comply with the bilateral agreement between Indonesia and Norway on forest conservation.
Various governments worldwide are beginning to put regulations in place and to encourage development of more sustainable sources of power generation in order to protect populations worldwide from the immediate detrimental effects on life and health, and to protect the environment for future generation.
By : Sunil K Kumbhat , Jodhpur( Rajasthan ) India
Views expressed herein are personal views of the author and not that of COALspot.com.
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Friday, 09 March 12
SHIP OWNERS LOOKING TO CHINA FOR REVIVAL, WHILE THEY KEEP SELLING OLD SHIPS FOR SCRAP - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
With China’s economic policy plan for the future on every ship owner’s mind, at least those involved in the dry bulk industry, the lates ...
Thursday, 08 March 12
INDONESIA'S COAL SECTOR CAN BENEFIT FROM CLEARER REGULATIONS - FITCH RATINGS
Fitch Ratings says Indonesia's coal mining sector should continue to see strong growth prospects but can benefit from clearer and more predictable ...
Thursday, 08 March 12
DRY BULK MARKET ON THE RISE; CHINAS COAL IMPORTS COULD INCREASE - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
The dry bulk market kept on rising back to healthier levels yesterday, with the BDI (Baltic Dry Index) the industry’s benchmark, marking its 8 ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
INDONESIA COAL BENCHMARK PRICE GAINS FOR SECOND MONTH
COALspot.com - Indonesia raised the monthly coal reference price for sales in March by 1.15 percent, the second increase since February.
The Mini ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
INDONESIA TO LIMIT FOREIGN OWNERSHIP IN MINES TO 49 PERCENT WITHIN 10 YEARS OF PRODUCTION
COALspot.com - Foreign holders of mining licenses in Indonesia have to divert 51% of their stakes to Indonesian government or domestic entitie ...
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- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- PTC India Limited - India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- White Energy Company Limited
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- The University of Queensland
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Minerals Council of Australia
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Planning Commission, India
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Australian Coal Association
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
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