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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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Thursday, 15 March 12
RESOURCE ALAM FY11 PROFIT UP 171% - INSIDER STORIES
Insider Stories reported that, coal mining company PT Resource Alam Indonesia Tbk (KKGI) reported a 171.16% jump in net profit last year on the back ...
Wednesday, 14 March 12
GLOBAL THERMAL TRADE FLOW CHANGES WILL ENSURE SECURITY OF THERMAL COAL SUPPLY, ALBEIT AT A HIGH PRICE - WOOD MACKENZIE
Wood Mackenzie Says Global Thermal Trade Flow Changes Will Ensure Security of Thermal Coal Supply, Albeit At a High Price Seaborne thermal demand by ...
Wednesday, 14 March 12
COKAL TAKES ANOTHER STEP IN DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE TO FACILITATE METALLURGICAL COAL PRODUCTION
Global coal group, Cokal Limited (ASX-CKA), has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU’s) to develop two river ports and two small scale coa ...
Tuesday, 13 March 12
CLARIFICATION OF GR 24 OF 2012 REQUIRING DIVESTMENT OF FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OVER TIME
ASX Announcement
Global metallurgical coal group, Cokal Limited (ASX-CKA), is responding to the recent announcement of the Indonesian Ministry of ...
Tuesday, 13 March 12
EUROPEAN COAL CONTANGO: FURTHER STEEPNESS REQUIRED TO MAKE LARGE SCALE PHYSICAL TIME SPREAD ARBITRAGE MORE ATTRACTIVE - MISWIN MAHESH, BARCLAYS CAPITAL
COALspot.com - "With the contango between the Y+1 and M+1 ARA delivered contract now averaging above the $14/t level, there is an increasing in ...
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- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Australian Coal Association
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- White Energy Company Limited
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- The University of Queensland
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Planning Commission, India
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
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