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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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Sunday, 19 February 12
THE SPOT FIXTURE RATES WERE REPORTED AT HIGH LEVELS - VISTAAR
COALspot.com - "The markets seems to holding back this week appears the momentum which picked up last week may slow down" - Capt. Reddy of ...
Sunday, 19 February 12
INDIKA ACQUIRES MULTI TAMBANGJAYA - INSIDER STORIES
Insider Stories reported that, PT Indika Energy Tbk (INDY) announced that wholly-owned subsidiaries have signed a conditional sale and purchase agre ...
Friday, 17 February 12
COLOMBIA COAL PRODUCTION, EXPORTS JUMP IN 2011: GOVT - COLOMBIA REPORTS
Colombia Reports reported that, colombia's coal production jumped 15.4% in 2011 to 85.8 million tonnes versus the previous year while exports rose ...
Thursday, 16 February 12
GEARING UP FOR THE EMERGING OIL & GAS OPPORTUNITIES IN MYANMAR
Press Release - Myanmar Ministry of Energy and Centre for Management Technology (CMT) to Co-host MOGP (Myanmar Oil, Gas & Power) Summit on 28 - ...
Wednesday, 15 February 12
HBA FOR FEB 2012, CLIMBS 2.09 PERCENT AND REACHED US$ 111.58 PER TON
COALspot.com - The Indonesian coal reference price for February climbs 2.09 percent to US$111.58 per ton after losing past three months. ...
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- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- VISA Power Limited - India
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- White Energy Company Limited
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Planning Commission, India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Minerals Council of Australia
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- The University of Queensland
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Australian Coal Association
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
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