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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, 06 April 12
DRY BULK MARKET SWIFT TO HALT FALL ON RENEWED DEMAND FOR CAPESIZES - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
The dry bulk managed to put a stop to the recent falls, which came as a result of a lacklustre demand for smaller vessel sizes. Although this trend ...
Thursday, 05 April 12
COAL EXPORT TAX: MATTER OF CONCERN FOR INDIA - SUNIL K KUMBHAT
COALspot.com - Since the issuance of Indonesian Mining law in 2009, miners have increased their activities in exploring , ex ...
Thursday, 05 April 12
AKR COAL FIRST EXPORT SHIPMENT OF COAL SEABORNE
PT Anugrah Karya Raya (AKR Coal) subsidiary of PT AKR Corporindo Tbk., Indonesia’s leading integrated supply chain solutions provider and larg ...
Thursday, 05 April 12
DRY BULK MARKET STALLS AS TREND IS REVERSED - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
The dry bulk market has halted its month-long rally, with the BDI (Baltic Dry Index) retreating yesterday for a second consecutive session. Industry ...
Wednesday, 04 April 12
OIL MAY JUMP TO $150PB IF IRAN ATTACKED: EXPERT - KUNA / HELLENIC SHIPPING
Prices of oil will not drop below level of $100 per barrel and may jump to $150 pb in the coming two months, according to the prominent Kuwaiti expe ...
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- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- The University of Queensland
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Planning Commission, India
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- PTC India Limited - India
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- VISA Power Limited - India
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Australian Coal Association
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Minerals Council of Australia
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- White Energy Company Limited
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