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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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Monday, 05 March 12
SOUTHGOBI ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO SELL ITS THERMAL COAL TSAGAAN TOLGOI DEPOSIT FOR US$ 30 MILLION
SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) announced today an agreement to sell its thermal coal property, the Tsagaan Tolgoi Deposit to Modun Re ...
Monday, 05 March 12
SOME RESOURCE TITANS NOT THRILLED WITH INDONESIAN EXPORT BAN - THE JAKARTA GLOBE
The Jakarta Globe reported that, local representatives of major business associations in East Kalimantan have protested a government regulation that ...
Monday, 05 March 12
WEEKLY DRY MARKET OVERVIEW - MARIA BERTZELETOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING
An air of optimism poured in the market this week for dry bulk shippers with the Baltic Dry Index recording daily gains during the end of February b ...
Sunday, 04 March 12
SE ASIA WAS FIRM FOR TRIPS TO INDIA AND CHINA - VISTAAR
COALspot.com - This week saw another upward trend with all indices up and generally market was firm.
The BDI was up by 7.38 pct closing at 771 po ...
Friday, 02 March 12
DJMBP HAS ANNOUNCED SECOND BATCH OF CLEAR N CLEAN CERTIFIED MINERS
COALspot.com - The Directorate general of mineral & coal of Indonesia has announced second batch of companies who have passed IUP Clear and Clea ...
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- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- PTC India Limited - India
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Australian Coal Association
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Parliament of New Zealand
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- The University of Queensland
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Planning Commission, India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- White Energy Company Limited
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
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