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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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- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Planning Commission, India
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Australian Coal Association
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- The University of Queensland
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- White Energy Company Limited
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Economic Council, Georgia
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
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