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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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Wednesday, 07 March 12
ASSESS ASIAS POTENTIAL, DEVELOPMENTS AND APPETITE FOR SHALE AT SHALE GAS SUMMIT
Press Release - Assess Asia’s Potential, Developments and Appetite for Shale at Shale Gas Summit on 23-24 Apr, 2012 in Beijing
China is rep ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
3RD MOZAMBIQUE COAL CONFERENCE
3rd Mozambique Coal Conference
2-4 July 2012 | Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre , Maputo, Mozambique
http://www.immevents.com/mo ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
DRY BULK MARKET KEEPS UP TIMID REBOUND - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
The dry bulk market has kept its rising momentum yesterday, rising for the eighth straight session, on the back of renewed demand for smaller bulk c ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
BUKIT ASAM EYES 39% RISE IN COAL SALES - INSIDER STORIES
Insider Stories reported that, PT Bukit Asam Tbk is scouting a 39% increase in coal sales volume to 18.66 million tons this year from last year with ...
Wednesday, 07 March 12
PETROSEA SEALS US$188 MIO CONTRACT - INSIDER STORIES
Insider Stories reported that, coal mining contractor PT Petrosea Tbk has secured a US$188 million additional contract from its affiliated firm PT S ...
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- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Planning Commission, India
- Australian Coal Association
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- The University of Queensland
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- White Energy Company Limited
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
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