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sidd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1500 on: August 27, 2019, 07:02:14 AM »
The gift that keeps on giving:

"101 coal ash sites sit on terrain where the agency estimates at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year — what is frequently known as a 100-year storm."

"Flood-risk information wasn’t available for every site, and consistent documentation didn’t exist for many long-dormant coal ash sites, so POLITICO eliminated dozens of locations from its results. The results also don’t account for some utilities’ ongoing efforts to remove their coal ash. And some FEMA maps POLITICO reviewed were last updated in the 1970s."

"Duke Energy said adhering to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's order to excavate six sites near waterways would cost $5 billion. Dominion Energy’s cleanup at four Virginia sites will cost $3 billion under a deal brokered with the state. "

"The 2008 spill that sparked a push for federal rules, at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant in Kingston, Tenn., cost $1.2 billion to clean up and has been linked to the deaths of dozens of workers who contracted cancer and other diseases after responding to the disaster. Damage from a 2014 spill on the Dan River in North Carolina reached $395 million, according to the U.S. Forest Service."

"extreme precipitation spiked 42 percent in the Midwest and 27 percent in the Southeast between 1958 and 2016, and said the Midwest and parts of the Southeast will see another 40-plus percent increase by 2100 if emissions trajectories go unchanged."

"Existing flood map boundaries do not account for future flood risk"

"Drinking water wells in rural areas that tap into groundwater already show contamination from chemicals such as arsenic, lithium, cobalt and radium near 24 coal ash sites across 13 states"

"Groundwater contamination for pollutants such as molybdenum, arsenic, thallium, lithium, selenium, cobalt and radium also exceeded EPA health safety standards at 91 percent of 265 power plants"

"the Trump administration also decided against requiring companies to prove they have the money to clean up future coal ash spills."

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/26/toxic-waste-climate-change-worse-1672998

sidd

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1501 on: August 27, 2019, 06:47:48 PM »
Coal is becoming increasingly unprofitable and its use in the US is expected to decline to 11% of electrical generation (from 25% this year) by 2030:

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coal-sector-outlook-drops-from-stable-to-negative-moodys/561476/

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•Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday downgraded the North American coal sector to a "negative" outlook, citing an expected 3% decline in earnings in the second half of 2019 and a slide in profitability over the next year to 18 months.

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•The downgrade is a shift from July, when Moody's said the outlook remained "stable" despite declines in coal-fired generation. The firm predicted at the time coal-fired power could decline to just 11% of the United States' electricity by 2030.


Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1502 on: August 27, 2019, 06:54:56 PM »
The outlook for coal in India and China isn't quite as rosy as some posters on this site would have you believe.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/23/australian-thermal-coal-exporters-warned-of-falling-demand-from-india

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This month India announced a plan to cut its coal imports by a third, counting on an increase in domestic production and in renewable energy output.

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“In the long term, the outlook for thermal coal usage in India depends heavily on the prospects for other energy sources, particularly the pace of expansion in renewable generation in India,” the report said. “India has set itself ambitious renewable energy targets.

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Demand for thermal coal is falling in north Asia – the destination for most Australian exports – and Europe and North America, and it is broadly expected this decline will continue in the coming decades.

As demand slows, particularly in China, the benchmark thermal coal price has sunk to a three-year low: US$61 a tonne.

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Buckley said solar power in India was three times cheaper than the assumptions used in the chief economist’s report, based on outdated IEA predictions.

“They’re underestimating the importance of low-cost renewable energy,” he said.

Growth of thermal coal demand in India is financially challenged by the fact renewable energy is 30% cheaper, so what bank in their right mind would finance a new coal-fired power plant?

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1503 on: August 27, 2019, 08:33:29 PM »
Months of upheaval has left analysts asking, "what’s next" for Wyoming’s coal industry
https://trib.com/business/energy/months-of-upheaval-has-left-analysts-asking-what-s-next/article_ed1d1cb7-252a-52d3-bc5b-733909820d34.html
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The economist said it is difficult to predict which of the basin’s 16 mines might founder next. Clues to the basin’s future will likely be found in the overall health of each company operating in the basin.

Absent a drastic regulatory, economic or technological miracle, the coal market will likely continue to contract, profit margins will stay thin and competition ruthless. That is, if companies do not adjust, Godby said.

“The cruel irony is that while everyone is hoping we could get the Blackjewel workers back to work, the long-term solution for some kind of health in the basin is for some of the mines to shut down, and we let the capacity adjust to the demand,” he said.

Godby likens the response needed by the state and communities to what happens when a pilot flies a plane. With proper preparation and a sober outlook, harmful disruption to coal country communities can be minimized.

“The objective is to keep the plane in the air as long as possible,” he said, “and land the plane as smoothly as possible.”

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1504 on: August 29, 2019, 01:50:54 AM »
Many of the coal plants under construction in India will be abandoned before they're commissioned due to the poor economics of coal.  They can't compete with solar and wind plants.

http://ieefa.org/india-coal-plant-cancellations-are-coming-faster-than-expected/

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The latest data from the Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT) shows that India’s coal-fired pre-construction project pipeline has shrunk by a quarter, that is 24 GW in the last six months alone. India’s thermal power giant NTPC Ltd has reportedly shelved 10.5 GW of its planned coal-fired power projects year-to-date. Project cancellations are coming faster as financial viability remains dubious and India increases its low-cost renewable installations.
India’s National Electricity Plan (NEP) 2018 assumes 94 GW of new coal-fired capacity will be added between 2017/18 and 2026/27. With the renewables program accelerating, IEEFA views this as too high an estimate if UDAY is successful in bringing AT&C losses down. Further, IEEFA believes that many of these project proposals, based on outdated subcritical technology, will become stranded assets even before they are built, resulting in a waste of land, capital, and political effort.

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As per India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates, the tariff for a new emission controls compliant pit-head supercritical coal-fired power plant should be Rs4.39/kWh (for a PLF of 60%). With super competitive renewable energy PPAs with zero indexation now regularly priced in the Rs2.50-3.00/kWh range, new coal power plants are struggling for viability across India.
India’s coal-fired power sector woes reflect the combination of excessive financial leverage, operational inefficiencies and competition arising from accelerated deflation in renewable energy tariffs, all of which make investors sceptical of the sector. India’s financial sector is ill-equipped to force promoters to write-off their equity investment in stranded assets, resulting in delays and ultimately bigger losses to debt providers, given interest expense continues to accrue on long stalled projects.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1505 on: August 29, 2019, 10:16:49 PM »
An Iowa utility could close three coal plants early and replace them with wind to save consumers money and generate higher profits.

https://energynews.us/2019/08/29/midwest/analysis-iowa-customers-could-save-16-million-if-utility-pulls-out-of-coal-plants/

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An Iowa utility could save its customers $16 million annually starting in 2020 by quickly withdrawing from three uneconomic coal-fired power plants, according to a study commissioned by two clean energy nonprofits.
Interstate Power and Light could also boost its profits by investing in new wind generation, according to the analysis, which was submitted as part of a rate case now before state regulators in which the utility is seeking an additional $203.6 million in annual compensation from ratepayers. 

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While Varadarajan is urging Interstate to scrutinize the economics of its entire fossil-fuel fleet, he contends that the company should immediately shut down its ownership in three plants that account for 500 MW of capacity. They are the 191-megawatt Burlington Station, which it owns solely, and the George Neal north and south stations, where it owns a total of 309 MW of capacity. Iowa’s largest utility, MidAmerican Energy, operates the Neal plants.

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If it were to invest in new wind farms to make up for the lost 500 MW of coal generation, he explained, the new capital investment could boost the company’s revenues. According to Varadarajan’s appraisal, all of Interstate’s coal plants as well as its two natural gas plants currently provide power at a higher price than would additional wind energy or purchases from the wholesale market. But that could change.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1506 on: August 29, 2019, 10:27:12 PM »
North Carolina is wondering why Duke Energy is planning to keep coal plants operating when renewables are so much cheaper.

https://www.wfae.org/post/nc-oks-duke-long-range-plan-wants-data-retiring-coal-plants-early#stream/0

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North Carolina regulators this week approved Duke Energy's latest 15-year energy plan as "adequate." But they also ordered the company next year to show why it still makes economic sense to keep old coal plants open and how it will help meet state goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Every year, North Carolina's utilities must update their Integrated Resource Plans, which forecast growth in energy demand and how they'll meet it. The latest plans approved this week for Duke Energy's two North Carolina units — Duke Energy Carolinas in the west and Duke Energy Progress in the east — call for more cleaner-burning gas-fired power plants and more solar energy through 2033.

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We're reasonably confident a significant number of the coal plants in North Carolina are uneconomic, meaning that Duke's customers are paying more for energy from those coal plants than they would if Duke just retired those coal plants and replaced them with clean sources like solar power," said Dave Rogers, regional director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.

Duke Retires Plants

Duke has retired nine coal plants in the Carolinas in recent years, but still has seven, including the Allen Steam Station on the Catawba River west of Charlotte.

Rogers said it costs Duke $67 to produce one megawatt hour of electricity at the Allen plant — enough to power a typical house for a month.

But, Rogers said, "in Duke's most recent competitive bidding process, the average bid for new solar installations (was) around $37 or $38. So that's a pretty significant cost savings."

The North Carolina attorney general's office joined the critics, arguing that Duke’s plans for more natural gas plants are not justified and fail to consider economic and environmental risks.

Commission Wants New Modeling

The North Carolina Utilities Commission took many of those arguments to heart. It approved Duke's latest plans — known as the 2018 Integrated Resource Plan — as "adequate." But for the first time, regulators asked the company to present models for early retirement of coal plants and adoption of more renewables. 

That's in part to help North Carolina meet Gov. Roy Cooper's Executive Order 80 of last October, which sets a goal of slashing carbon emissions in the state 40% by 2025, from 2005 levels.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1507 on: August 29, 2019, 11:21:16 PM »
The pace of coal power plant retirements is accelerating.  In January, 6 GW of coal power were forecast to be retired in in the US.  That has increased to 10 GW in August.

January 2019 Forecast:

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/01/23/us-coal-retirements-in-2019-to-hit-at-least-6-gigawatts/

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US Coal Retirements In 2019 To Hit At Least 6 Gigawatts

January 23rd, 2019 by Joshua S Hill 

The latest S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows that a total of 49 gigawatts (GW) of new power generation capacity will be added in the United States in 2019, but will also see the retirement of nearly 6 GW of coal.

August 2019 forecast:

http://ieefa.org/u-s-coal-plant-retirements-to-top-10gw-in-2019-eia/

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U.S. coal plant retirements to top 10GW in 2019—EIA
Reuters: (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-coal-retirement-factbox/factbox-u-s-coal-fired-power-plants-scheduled-to-shut-idUSKCN1V31IS)
U.S. power companies expect to retire or convert from coal to gas over 10,600 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired plants in 2019 after shutting over 13,000 MW in 2018, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and Thomson Reuters data.

The number of megawatts retired in 2018 was the second highest in a year behind 2015 when generators shut over 19,000 MW. One megawatt can power about 1,000 U.S. homes.

U.S. coal power capacity peaked around 317,400 MW in 2011, according to EIA data. It has declined every year since and was down to around 244,000 MW by the end of 2018. The total generating capacity in the United States – including coal, natural gas, renewables and nuclear – was almost 1.1 million MW in 2018.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1508 on: September 01, 2019, 12:42:30 AM »
Share of coal in UK's electricity system falls to record lows
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/30/share-of-coal-in-uks-electricity-system-falls-to-record-lows?platform=hootsuite
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The figures show electricity generated by the UK’s most polluting power plants made up an average of 0.7% of the total in the second quarter of this year. The amount of coal used to power the electricity grid fell by almost two-thirds compared with the same months last year.

A government spokesperson said coal-generated energy “will soon be a distant memory” as the UK moves towards becoming a net zero emissions economy.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1509 on: September 02, 2019, 09:43:53 PM »
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UK Coal (@UK_Coal) 9/2/19, 6:22 AM
Last Week's GB National Grid #Coal generation

Coal Generation : 51.40 GWh (1.08%)
GB Generation 4.74 TWh
Time with no Coal Generation: 102 hours, 45 minutes
(with Generation: 65 hours, 15 minutes)
https://twitter.com/uk_coal/status/1168469188496756737
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

sidd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1510 on: September 03, 2019, 07:02:52 AM »
Amazing ramp rates for coal, must be modern plants ?

sidd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1511 on: September 03, 2019, 03:30:49 PM »
Amazing ramp rates for coal, must be modern plants ?

sidd

Perhaps they don’t “throw the switch” to provide power until they get close to optimal operating temperatures/pressures?  So we wouldn’t see the warm-up phase here.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1512 on: September 04, 2019, 07:46:39 PM »
Inside the Harlan County Coal Miner Protest
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/harlan-county-coal-miner-blockade-879324/
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Unpaid miners have been blocking coal on a Kentucky railroad track for 38 days, rekindling questions about the future of communities that rely on the fossil-fuel industry

Navajo Nation doubles down on coal. Will it work?
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1061110763
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Coal has cost the Navajo Nation, but the tribe's energy company is betting that buying faraway mines can replenish its coffers.

In October, if all goes as planned, the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC) will take over three massive mines in Montana and Wyoming, replacing bankrupt former owner Cloud Peak Energy Inc. as the nation's third-largest coal company.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2019, 08:25:33 PM by Tom_Mazanec »

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1513 on: September 04, 2019, 09:10:30 PM »
India's coal plants face a triple-threat: too much capacity in the current electrical system; lack of water due to climate change; and the cheap cost of wind and solar.

https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2019-09-04-coal-energy-bleak-future-study

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What once drove India to economic development and continues to power millions of homes and industries is now dying a slow death, a new study reveals.

India went through a boom in coal-fired power plants in the early 2010s, years before it embraced the solar revolution. The plant construction during this time has lead to a significant over-capacity - 20% higher than the country’s peak demand level and more than 50GW above-average demand levels, said a study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Applied Economics Clinic (AEC).

...

The other two main challenges apart from over-capacity are dropping water availability and lower cost of electricity coming from renewable sources like solar and wind.

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“Ongoing water shortage problems in India forced 61 plant shutdowns from 2013-2017, resulting in roughly 17,000 gigawatt-hours of lost generation (and revenue),” read the report. “Water-related problems are projected to worsen as the impacts of climate change continue to exacerbate the duration and severity of both flooding and drought,” added the report.
 
A 2018 research from World Resources Institute (WRI) found out that thermal power plants cooled with freshwater in high water-stress areas have 21% lower average capacity factor, compared to plants in low and medium water-stress areas. Another 2018 paper from WRI also found out that the top 20 thermal power utility companies experienced water shortage-related disruptions at least once between 2013 and 2018, which caused a loss of USD$1.4 billion in potential revenue.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1514 on: September 06, 2019, 10:46:50 PM »
PacifiCorp, DEQ pick less power over clean-coal technology
https://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/pacificorp-deq-pick-less-power-over-clean-coal-technology/article_589c6cc8-1502-5442-93d3-1c5e8ca24556.html
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Reducing the plant’s electricity output to 76.3 percent of capacity in lieu of spending $280 million on new pollution controls is the most economical and environmentally sound way to meet federal haze regulations, according to the company.

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality agreed in a 17-minute hearing in Rock Springs on Aug. 23 that the company plan would meet the state-enforced federal haze-reduction rules. PacifiCorp presented its plan in a 25-minute hearing just before DEQ made its finding.

Union president urges candidates to remember coal workers in climate plans
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/459986-union-president-urges-candidates-to-remember-coal-workers-in
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Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said if these candidates seek success in elections, they will need the support of union members, the Associated Press reported.

The plans he has seen, including the Green Deal, could be “extremely harmful” to coal workers, threatening their jobs and standard of living, Roberts said.

“It’s getting to a ridiculous level here about who’s going to shut down more coal mines,” Roberts said during a speech to the National Press Club Wednesday.

Local people challenge coal plant expansion in Bali
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/11497-Local-people-challenge-coal-plant-expansion-in-Bali
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In response to the complaints, the governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, has asked the Celukan Bawang plant operators to switch coal for a less polluting fuel, such as gas.

“The people behind the coal power plant cannot ignore its environmental and social impacts,” Koster said.

As well as being the world’s largest coal exporter, Indonesia has a growing domestic energy demand. President Joko Widodo has pledged to develop 35,000 megawatts of new power by 2024. His government sees coal as a cheap and easy means to achieving the target, according to the Financial Times. However, the country has a large potential for developing renewable alternatives, particularly geothermal, wind and solar.

 

Coal on the Javan Coast
A coal power boom is threatening the coastline and communities of an Indonesian island.
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/coal-on-the-javan-coast/
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Indonesia is experiencing a coal power boom, particularly on Java, the most populous island in the world. One of the dozens of planned plants, Java 7, will be operational by October, and its construction has already left some communities questioning the wisdom of the development amid an emerging opposition to coal expansion nationwide.

Residents in Banten, the island’s westernmost province, have already reported decreases in fish catches and agricultural yields since construction began in April 2016.

“Their catch is as low as 50 percent compared to before the existence of the coal power plant,” says Pius Ginting, coordinator of the Indonesian NGO Association of People’s Emancipation and Ecological Action. “Moreover, their costs have increased, because they need to go a bit farther to fish.”
« Last Edit: September 07, 2019, 12:54:52 AM by Tom_Mazanec »

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1515 on: September 10, 2019, 12:11:38 AM »
Thermal coal (burned to make electricity) is all but dead everywhere except Asia.  And it's on the way out there too.

So steelmaking is the only market left for coal.  But that's changing too.

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/06/hydrogen-could-replace-coke-in-steelmaking-lower-carbon-emissions-dramatically/

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The way steel is made has not changed significantly in the past 150 years. Iron ore is
smelted in huge blast furnaces that use carbon-rich coke — a form of coal — as a
reducing agent to turn the iron into steel. Those furnaces belch out huge amounts of
carbon dioxide, and it’s not like the iron ore just shows up at the furnaces unaided.
Mining it and transporting it creates lots more carbon emissions.

Climate activists have been hammering the steel industry for years to clean up its
emissions. Now a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance claims hydrogen could
replace coke in 10 to 50% of all steelmaking my the year 2050, given the right carbon
pricing. Using hydrogen instead of coke — a process known as direct reduction —
could lower the carbon emissions from steel mills significantly.

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Bloomberg NEF says hydrogen technology will be competitive with high-cost, coal-based
plants when the cost of renewable hydrogen falls below $2.20 a kilogram, assuming
coking coal prices remain where they are now at about $310 a ton. That could happen
by 2030, Bloomberg says. Currently, most commercial hydrogen in North America is
derived from natural gas, which has its own carbon and methane emissions problems.
But new technologies that rely on renewable energy are coming to market soon.

Any shift to hydrogen would pose a danger to coking coal producers and their investors.
The material has few uses other than in blast furnaces. “It has long been thought that
met-coal is untouchable and would be unaffected by the changes sweeping the energy
sector,” Bhavnagri says. “Hydrogen extends the reach of renewables right into the front
yard of met-coal miners.”

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1516 on: September 10, 2019, 06:44:35 PM »
Environment becomes a trade-war victim as China ramps up industrial production to offset economic slowdown caused by commerce conflict

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The long-running trade war with the US has taken a well documented toll on China’s economy, dragging growth down to its slowest pace in decades. But as the country ramps up its factory output to try and counteract the slowdown, the environment is now paying a price too, according to a growing body of evidence. Increased industrial production aimed at offsetting stuttering growth is cancelling out efforts to eradicate the famous smogs that hang above many of China’s cities, said Charles Yonts, head of power and ESG research at CLSA. The rises in activity of the most dirty industries in northern China pointed to a “smokestack stimulus”, he said, as part of a “desperate effort to keep GDP humming along.”

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3026588/environment-becomes-trade-war-victim-china-ramps-industrial

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1517 on: September 10, 2019, 06:46:42 PM »
China's coal demand to peak around 2025, global usage to follow -report

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China's coal demand will start to fall in 2025 once consumption at utilities and other industrial sectors reaches its peak, a state-owned think tank said in a new report, easing pressure on Beijing to impose tougher curbs on fossil fuels.

The world's biggest coal consumer is expected to see total consumption fall 18% from 2018 to 2035, and by 39% from 2018 to 2050, the CNPC Economics and Technology Research Institute, run by the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), forecast in a report on Thursday.

Cutting coal consumption and replacing it with cleaner energy like natural gas and renewables has been a key part of China's energy strategy, but it has continued to approve new mines and coal-fired power plants and support new projects overseas.

Though the share of coal in the country's total energy mix fell to 59% last year from 68.5% in 2012, overall consumption in 2018 rose 3% from a year earlier to 3.82 billion tonnes, official data showed.

However, the CNPC researchers said they expected the total share of coal to drop to 40.5% by 2035 as renewable, nuclear and natural gas capacity continues to increase rapidly.

"With coal demand in China falling gradually, world coal consumption is forecast to reach a peak within 10 years. Meanwhile, China's coal demand, currently accounting for half of the world's total, will decline to around 35% by 2050," the report said.

http://news.trust.org/item/20190823031706-8omfg

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1518 on: September 16, 2019, 05:22:53 PM »
Idle mines portend dark days for top US coal region
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mine-shutdowns-top-us-coal-region-bring-uncertainty-65612999
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At two of the world's biggest coal mines, the finances got so bad that their owner couldn't even get toilet paper on credit.

Warehouse technician Melissa Worden divvied up what remained of the last case, giving four rolls to each mine and two to the mine supply facility where she worked.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1519 on: September 18, 2019, 06:55:50 PM »
Agreement could shutter Edwards coal plant in 2022
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20190916/agreement-could-shutter-edwards-coal-plant-in-2022
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The Sierra Club announced Monday a proposed settlement would go to the federal judge hearing the case. It’s been agreed to both by environmental groups and by Illinois Power Resources Generating, the affiliate of Vistra Energy that operates the plant, said Ryan Hidden, who helped organize the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.

The agreement would, among other things, see the plant closed by the end of 2022 and provide $8.6 million in funds for workforce development and public health and environmental projects, according to a Sierra Club news release. More than 70 employees work at the facility.

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1520 on: September 18, 2019, 08:08:41 PM »
India to surpass US as world's second largest coal producer this year: KPMG

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The country is projected to produce roughly 815 million mt in fiscal year 2019-2020, up from 730 million mt in FY 2018-2019, Bhattacharjee said Tuesday at the mJunction Indian Coal Markets conference in Calcutta.India's fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31.

US coal production is projected to total 674 million st (611 million mt) in 2019, down from 755 million st in 2018, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

As India's economy grows, Indian power demand continues to rise, driving the increase in coal production.

The country has an average kWh/capita rate of 1,149 compared with 4,280 kWh/capita in China and 12,830 kWh/capita in the US, according to a presentation by S Chandrasekhar, the director of operations for Singareni Collieries, one of two government-backed miners in India.

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The government has set a production target of 1 billion mt by fiscal year 2024-2025, of which Coal India is projected to produce 880 million mt.

Coal-fired power accounts for 55% of India's generation, but there is not enough domestically-produced coal to meet demand, said several speakers.

Indian coal imports totaled 173 million mt in 2018, and are projected to increase to 193 million mt in 2019, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. In 2020, Indian coal imports are projected to total 213 million mt, surpassing China as the world's largest importer.

The majority of India's thermal coal imports come from Indonesia and South Africa.

Imports are also used to increase the calorific value of India's domestic thermal coal, which averages roughly 3,500 kcal/kg.

India remains the main export market for the US, which exported 10.4 million mt of thermal coal to India in 2018 along with 5.1 million mt of metallurgical coal and 3.1 million mt of fuel-grade petcoke.

Most of the US thermal coal and petcoke exported to India is consumed by the country's brick and cement industries.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/coal/091819-india-to-surpass-us-as-worlds-second-largest-coal-producer-this-year-kpmg

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1521 on: September 18, 2019, 08:11:10 PM »
Chinese coal production climbs 5% in August

Quote
China produced 320m tonnes of coal in August – a 5% increase year on year – amid steady thermal power generation and elevated imports, the country’s statistics bureau said at the weekend.
China has so far produced 2,410m tonnes of coal in the year through to the end of August, also up nearly 5% from a year earlier. Last month’s output slowed relative to July’s 12% year-on-year spike.

https://www.montelnews.com/en/story/chinese-coal-production-climbs-5-in-august/1042975

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1522 on: September 18, 2019, 08:15:23 PM »
Russian thermal coal production to grow to 550 million mt/year by 2035: Putin

Quote
Russian thermal coal production is set to grow over 100 million mt by 2035, as the country looks to invest in new coal infrastructure and focus increasingly on the growing Asia-Pacific region, President Vladimir Putin said in a meeting with heads of coal mining regions last week.

Quote
Putin said Russia's main competitors in the seaborne market were Australia and Indonesia, which both benefitted from better logistical conditions as the coal mines are generally located closer to the export terminal than in Russia.

Alexander Valentinovich, minister of energy, said that Russia's current coal production exceeded 440 million mt, and was nearly 10% higher than the initial plan for Russian coal through to 2030.

"About 300 million mt of new coal mining capabilities were commissioned over the past ten years," the minister said.

Russia's coal development program through to 2035 had been revised upward, from current 440 million mt/year to 550 million mt/year, and as high as 670 million mt/year, the minister said.

Quote
RUSSIAN COMPANIES TURN FOCUS TO EAST

The minister also highlighted how Russia had increased its coal mining and export infrastructure, particularly in the Far East, the Black Sea and the Arctic Basin.

This would be integral to Russia's coal development as currently 60% of all coal production and 75% of export coal is produced in the Kuzbass region in the centre of the country, the minister said.

This focus on new coal production has led Russia to account for 15% of world coal trade, behind only Australia and Indonesia, the minister said.

"Our coal companies today are actively exploring the markets of the Asia-Pacific region, which is by far the most promising. And we see the growth potential of coal consumption in this direction," the minister said.

While the outlook for thermal coal in Western markets has been overly negative for some time now, the minster noted that in absolute terms, thermal coal demand would either stay at current levels or increase.

"It is always difficult to guess how energy markets will develop. Nevertheless, most experts agree that, despite the decrease in the share of coal in the overall energy balance, taking into account the fact that energy consumption will increase in the world, the total volume of coal consumption will be at least not less than today's level, and will even grow in absolute terms," he said.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/coal/082719-russian-thermal-coal-production-to-grow-to-550-million-mt-year-by-2035-putin

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1523 on: September 18, 2019, 08:19:44 PM »
South Africa must continue to invest in coal – Bayoglu

Quote
he noted that the industry required considerable support to compete in international markets against countries like Indonesia.

Indonesia’s coal output is projected to grow exponentially, while South Africa’s is set to decline over the next 20 years.

Bayoglu lamented that this was despite the fact that South Africa had world-class infrastructure, from mining to rail and ports, and developed skills, to support the industry. 

Quote
Further, he noted that the world’s energy demand continued to rise exponentially. This growing demand would be supported by the 1 160 coal plants that are planned or under construction in 62 countries worldwide, he indicated, with these new plants set to expand the world’s coal-fired power generation capacity by 43%.

Quote
Bayoglu noted that while Europe’s coal demand had dropped owing to the growth of renewables, South Africa did not have the same flexibility at its disposal, and would continue to be reliant on coal to supply its baseload power for now.

“South Africa has good quality coal, which needs to be produced cost competitively. South Africa also must make the most of its coal resources for the benefit of the country and can continue to generate revenue for the country through export sales,” Bayoglu said.

https://www.miningweekly.com/article/south-africa-must-continue-to-invest-in-coal-bayoglu-2019-09-18/rep_id:3650

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1524 on: September 18, 2019, 08:30:46 PM »
Carbon Brief Global Coal Power

The page (linked to below) has a slider that goes from year to year. If you slide to 2018 you can see all the closures in Europe, North America and Australia(white circles). All the new ones are in China, India and South East Asia.

Then slide to "future" and all the growth is in China, India, Indonesia, South East Asia, Africa, and Turkey (with a few in Germany and Poland).

The "western" countries simply cant close plants fast enough to offset the growth in other nations. Looking at China, India, Russia, Indonesia etc. this year, it looks like coal production and consumption will increase again in 2019. India is one of the biggest markest for US coal.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1525 on: September 18, 2019, 08:32:41 PM »
US coal fired electricity is projected to decrease from 28% of electrical generation currently to 22% in 2020.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Wind-And-Natural-Gas-Are-Big-Winners-In-US-Power-Generation.html

Quote
Back in January this year, the EIA said that wind, natural gas, and solar capacity will lead the new electricity capacity in the United States in 2019, while coal-fired generation will account for more than half of the scheduled capacity retirements. 

In the September STEO, EIA expects that the share of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation from natural gas-fired plants to increase from 34 percent last year to 37 percent this year and to 38 percent next year.

The share of wind, solar, and other non-hydropower renewables combined accounted for 10 percent of U.S. utility-scale generation in 2018. This share is expected to remain the same in 2019 and to rise to 12 percent in 2020. This year, annual generation from wind is set to exceed hydropower generation for the first time and to become the leading source of renewable electricity generation—and it will stay so in 2020, EIA says.

Meanwhile, the share of coal in U.S. generation is set to drop from 28 percent in 2018 to 25 percent in 2019 and to 22 percent in 2020.

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1526 on: September 18, 2019, 08:47:27 PM »
How plans for new coal are changing around the world

Quote
Just 15 countries are responsible for 90% of this shrinking pipeline, with each facing different political, social and economic pressures, incentives and trends. This guest article explains what is going on in each of the 15 key countries (see map, above) and then offers a global overview of the situation, based on Global Energy Monitor’s latest Global Coal Plant Tracker.

Over 50% of the pipeline is from China and India. Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh are another 15%

Quote
Around the world, 12.7 gigawatts (GW) of new coal capacity has been proposed so far in 2019 – less than 3GW above the amount that has retired (10GW). These trends mean the global coal fleet will soon decline, because only a third of proposed capacity has actually been developed since 2010.

Could this a short term trend, as China seems to be ramping up cal usage in the past few years>

Quote
In 2019 to date, about 12.7GW of coal power capacity has been newly proposed across eight countries and 12GW of new construction has started across five countries.These developments are concentrated in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh. China also resumed construction on nearly 9GW of capacity that had been postponed under central government restrictions.

Conversely, 132GW of planned new capacity was cancelled in 2019, mainly from lack of activity. The largest numbers of cancellations were in China, India, Myanmar and Turkey.

Overall, coal capacity under development totaled 538GW in the first half of 2019, including 227GW being built (dark blue chunks in the chart, below) and 311GW in earlier stages (light blue). This total is down 6% from the end of 2018 and 62% since 2015.

Quote
Despite this shrinking pipeline, the global coal fleet increased by 17GW in the first half of 2019, net of retirements. New capacity remains highly concentrated: nearly 85% (23GW) of the 27GW commissioned in 2019 was in China (17.9GW) or India (4.8GW).

The other 11 countries that commissioned coal-fired capacity in 2019 added less than 1GW each. Meanwhile over 10GW of capacity was retired in 2019, led by the US (6.4GW) and European Union (2GW). To date, 2019 is on track to be the fourth highest year for coal plant retirements on record in the US.

Quote
China alone comprises nearly half (49%) of the global coal fleet, with 987.4GW, followed by the US with 13% (254.3GW) and India with 11% (225.6GW). The average age of the countries’ coal fleets range from 9 years (Vietnam) to 51 years (Ukraine).

Unabated coal power generation falls by 55-70% by 2030 and is effectively phased out by 2050 in pathways outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last October for limiting global temperatures to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures – the aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement.

The UN assumes a 55%-70% reduction in coal power generation by 2030, given that Carbon Capture & Storage has still not been shown to be a viable solution

Quote
As the pipeline for new coal dries up and older capacity reaches retirement, the lifetime and running hours of the world’s younger coal plants will therefore be a key determinant of whether global climate goals can be met.

This is the critical question, as shutting down 40-50 year old plants is not financially problematic, who will pay for the huge capital losses to get the huge number of younger coal plants shut down?

https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-how-plans-for-new-coal-are-changing-around-the-world

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1527 on: September 18, 2019, 08:49:31 PM »
Carbon Brief Global Coal Power

The page (linked to below) has a slider that goes from year to year. If you slide to 2018 you can see all the closures in Europe, North America and Australia(white circles). All the new ones are in China, India and South East Asia.

Then slide to "future" and all the growth is in China, India, Indonesia, South East Asia, Africa, and Turkey (with a few in Germany and Poland).

The "western" countries simply cant close plants fast enough to offset the growth in other nations. Looking at China, India, Russia, Indonesia etc. this year, it looks like coal production and consumption will increase again in 2019. India is one of the biggest markest for US coal.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants

Since coal fired electricity costs more than other options (except nuclear), this will be a great opportunity for western countries to regain manufacturing share.  It will cost less to manufacture products in the US or Europe, even with higher labor costs, than it will to produce them in Asia and ship them to the western countries.

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1528 on: September 18, 2019, 09:05:03 PM »
Talking Indonesia: energy

At the link below there is a very good interview on the challenges that Indonesia has with energy security and transitioning away from fossil fuels.

From the interview it sounds as if actual government policies, and political and economic dynamics, are somewhat in opposition to the President's stated aims for renewables.There is a price cap on retail coal prices that disadvantages renewables.

This is the text above the actual interview:

Quote
Indonesia is one of the world’s leading emitters of carbon dioxide and the fifth largest producer of coal, both for export and its own domestic use. Recently, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reiterated his commitment to reducing Indonesia’s dependence on fossil fuels and has set ambitious renewable energy targets. Indonesia is a signatory to the Paris Accord for climate change.

But with Indonesia’s economy growing at a rapid pace and its energy needs increasing at around 5 per cent annually, are these goals realistic? How can Indonesia wean itself off coal and protect its electricity supply at the same time? With renewables currently making up only 7 per cent of its energy output, what is the future of this sector?

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these issues and more with Emanuel Bria, the Indonesia Country Manager at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). Emanuel is a fellow at he Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), in Bonn, Germany, and teaches energy policy at the Paramadina Graduate School of Diplomacy.

In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey (link is external) from Deakin University and the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Charlotte Setijadi (link is external)from Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa (link is external) from La Trobe University.

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/talking-indonesia-energy/
« Last Edit: September 18, 2019, 09:13:47 PM by rboyd »

gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1529 on: September 18, 2019, 10:11:20 PM »
Carbon Brief Global Coal Power

The page (linked to below) has a slider that goes from year to year. If you slide to 2018 you can see all the closures in Europe, North America and Australia(white circles). All the new ones are in China, India and South East Asia.

Then slide to "future" and all the growth is in China, India, Indonesia, South East Asia, Africa, and Turkey (with a few in Germany and Poland).

The "western" countries simply cant close plants fast enough to offset the growth in other nations. Looking at China, India, Russia, Indonesia etc. this year, it looks like coal production and consumption will increase again in 2019. India is one of the biggest markest for US coal.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants

Since coal fired electricity costs more than other options (except nuclear), this will be a great opportunity for western countries to regain manufacturing share.  It will cost less to manufacture products in the US or Europe, even with higher labor costs, than it will to produce them in Asia and ship them to the western countries.
I have to give credit for making a virtue out of planned substantial net increases in coal production and consumption, together with the inevitable increase in CO2 ppm..

It is nice to know that western manufacturers will be able to increase their production of stuff while the world continues to fry even faster.

I am not sure that was the plan.
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1530 on: September 18, 2019, 11:25:17 PM »
Carbon Brief Global Coal Power

The page (linked to below) has a slider that goes from year to year. If you slide to 2018 you can see all the closures in Europe, North America and Australia(white circles). All the new ones are in China, India and South East Asia.

Then slide to "future" and all the growth is in China, India, Indonesia, South East Asia, Africa, and Turkey (with a few in Germany and Poland).

The "western" countries simply cant close plants fast enough to offset the growth in other nations. Looking at China, India, Russia, Indonesia etc. this year, it looks like coal production and consumption will increase again in 2019. India is one of the biggest markest for US coal.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-worlds-coal-power-plants

Since coal fired electricity costs more than other options (except nuclear), this will be a great opportunity for western countries to regain manufacturing share.  It will cost less to manufacture products in the US or Europe, even with higher labor costs, than it will to produce them in Asia and ship them to the western countries.
I have to give credit for making a virtue out of planned substantial net increases in coal production and consumption, together with the inevitable increase in CO2 ppm..

It is nice to know that western manufacturers will be able to increase their production of stuff while the world continues to fry even faster.

I am not sure that was the plan.

Actually, it's to highlight that the talk of opening new coal plants and oil facilities in the 2020s is just talk.  When the governments in Russia, China and India see their people starving (and rebellions starting to forment) they'll quickly back off the more expensive coal and oil facilities and put the people to work on wind and solar projects.

Coal is basically a dead man walking now.  Many of the plants being planned wont be built, and the ones that are under construction or were recently built will be retired long before the end of their useful lives.

We're seeing that now in the market-based economies of the west.  Eventually it will happen in the command economies like China.   It will remain to be seen how long the fossil fuel companies will be able to pay off government officials in Russia and India to keep their projects going.

The bottom line is the same in all economies though.  If it's cheaper to shut down a coal power plant and replace it with renewables, the coal plant will be shut down.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1531 on: September 18, 2019, 11:40:59 PM »

I have to give credit for making a virtue out of planned substantial net increases in coal production and consumption, together with the inevitable increase in CO2 ppm..

It is nice to know that western manufacturers will be able to increase their production of stuff while the world continues to fry even faster.

I am not sure that was the plan.
Plan!
Who said that there was a Plan?
This sounds like something a "Conspiracy Nut" would try to sell. - Are you now, or have you ever been a card carrying member of the Flat Earth Society?


There is no plan - there never was a plan - and if a plan was to be presented we plan to will drown it in the bathtub.


(Probably doesn't even believe Oswald acted alone)
Damn the Interweb
Terry

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1532 on: September 19, 2019, 06:30:19 PM »
The EIA has had to lower it's forecasts of coal production once again.  It seems they always underestimate the growth of renewable power because they think we're going to be using more expensive fossil fuels forever.

https://trib.com/business/energy/coal-declining-at-quicker-clip-than-previously-forecast-new-report/article_998f5f6c-bbbb-5aa1-9c6e-970202fc7315.html

Quote
The country’s energy data center tempered forecasts for Western coal production as demand for the mineral declines nationwide and market uncertainty persists, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Energy Information Administration.

Just one month ago, the agency expected the Western coal supply to total 369 million tons this year and drop to 356 million in tons in 2020. But the most recent report cut supplies projections for next year by 5 percent, or nearly 18 million tons, a sign that coal market instability could be sticking around for the foreseeable future. This year’s coal supply projections were trimmed compared to last month’s too.

Quote
“EIA has been bullish on coal for a long time,” said Clark Wiliams-Derry, director of energy finance at the Sightline Institute, an environmental think tank.

“But what is clear and undeniable when looking at trends in overall coal consumption is that … the Wyoming coal market is really hurting,” he added.

Coal production in Wyoming is down 9 percent from this time last year, according to data publicized by the Energy Information Administration last week.

“When you get down 9 percent ... that’s a big decline in a single year,” Williams-Derry said.

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1533 on: September 19, 2019, 07:09:01 PM »
The EIA has had to lower it's forecasts of coal production once again.  It seems they always underestimate the growth of renewable power because they think we're going to be using more expensive fossil fuels forever.

https://trib.com/business/energy/coal-declining-at-quicker-clip-than-previously-forecast-new-report/article_998f5f6c-bbbb-5aa1-9c6e-970202fc7315.html

This is just for Western US coal production.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1534 on: September 19, 2019, 07:39:29 PM »
The EIA has had to lower it's forecasts of coal production once again.  It seems they always underestimate the growth of renewable power because they think we're going to be using more expensive fossil fuels forever.

https://trib.com/business/energy/coal-declining-at-quicker-clip-than-previously-forecast-new-report/article_998f5f6c-bbbb-5aa1-9c6e-970202fc7315.html

This is just for Western US coal production.

“EIA forecasts that U.S. coal production in the second half of 2019 will be 328 million short tons (MMst), or 59 MMst (15%) less than in the second half of 2018. EIA expects that coal exports will continue to fall during the projection period as international demand for U.S. coal is dampened by high Atlantic freight costs in the near term and increased uncertainty in the metallurgical coal market in the longer term. EIA forecasts that U.S. coal consumption will total 593 MMst in 2019 and 548 MMst in 2020, a decline of 14% in 2019 and 8% in 2020.”
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/pdf/steo_full.pdf

Edit:
Added a few graphs from the report
« Last Edit: September 19, 2019, 08:09:44 PM by Sigmetnow »
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1535 on: September 19, 2019, 09:07:03 PM »
The UN will call on China to avoid building coal power plants as part of it's Belt and Road initiative and for no coal plants to be built after 2020:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-un/u-n-climate-summit-to-test-worlds-resolve-to-halt-warming-idUSKBN1W41CY

Quote
COAL IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Guterres has called for an end to the construction of coal plants from 2020 worldwide, as well as transitions away from subsidies for fossil fuels and a rapid shift toward renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal.

He and other U.N. officials also wants China to avoid ramping up coal production in Asia and Africa through its “Belt and Road” infrastructure vision.


Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1536 on: September 19, 2019, 09:16:19 PM »
The UN will call on China to avoid building coal power plants as part of it's Belt and Road initiative and for no coal plants to be built after 2020:
...

2020 is... quite soon.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1537 on: September 19, 2019, 10:03:23 PM »
But will China tell the UN to pound salt?

TerryM

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1538 on: September 19, 2019, 10:20:04 PM »
But will China tell the UN to pound salt?
Only when the UN has demonstrated the ability to pound salt in an environmentally sound manner. ::)
Terry

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1539 on: September 20, 2019, 01:12:35 AM »
Unless the rich west comes up with the money for these countries to implement renewable energy they will use what they can (and what they can get funded) to lift their people out of poverty. The UN cannot ask for something without providing the funds to make it happen. The poorer nations have been asking for this help in the UN climate conferences for a couple of decades now.

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1540 on: September 20, 2019, 01:17:28 AM »
Indonesia's Coal Price Cap: A barrier to renewable energy deployment

Quote
KEY MESSAGES
A price cap on mandatory sales of Indonesian coal to Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), the state-owned electricity company, distorts the market and locks in coal consumption
There are five other viable strategies to shore up PLN's finances without harming the integration of renewable energy into Indonesia's power supply
While subsidy reforms may affect consumer power prices, there are additional strategies to offset these impacts
Indonesia requires coal mining companies to supply part of their coal production to the domestic market, with much of this coal eventually delivered to coal-fired power plants.

The domestic market obligation, introduced in 2018, includes a cap on the prices coal suppliers can charge, reducing the cost of coal for coal-fired power stations. This regulation functions as a consumption fossil fuel subsidy, designed to keep electricity prices stable as well as protect the finances of government-owned electricity distribution company Perusahaan Listrik Negar (PLN) from sudden hikes in coal prices.

This policy brief finds that this glut of cheap coal-powered electricity effectively locks out renewable energy projects in Indonesia. The authors review the impacts of the coal price cap on renewable energy deployment and discuss five alternative strategies to sustain PLN’s finances without harming the integration of renewables into the power system.

https://www.iisd.org/library/indonesia-coal-price-cap

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1541 on: September 20, 2019, 09:05:37 PM »
Unless the rich west comes up with the money for these countries to implement renewable energy they will use what they can (and what they can get funded) to lift their people out of poverty. The UN cannot ask for something without providing the funds to make it happen. The poorer nations have been asking for this help in the UN climate conferences for a couple of decades now.

China is well past the point of being a "poorer nation".  They like to claim they're doing something about carbon emissions and pollution in China and then export their coal production and technology to other countries.  They're the most hypocritical nation on the planet by far, and it's about time the UN is calling them on it.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1542 on: September 20, 2019, 09:17:52 PM »
Water May Be Scarce for New Power Plants in Asia
https://phys.org/news/2019-09-scarce-power-asia.html

Climate change and over-tapped waterways could leave developing parts of Asia without enough water to cool power plants in the near future, new research indicates.

The study found that existing and planned power plants that burn coal for energy could be vulnerable.


That is already a problem for some power plants in the United States, and this study suggests, it is likely to be an even greater problem in developing parts of Asia—Mongolia, Southeast Asia and parts of India and China—where more than 400 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plant capacity are planned for operation by 2030. (By comparison: The largest coal-fired power plant in Ohio has the capacity to produce about 2,600 megawatts of electricity; the new plants planned for developing Asia are the equivalent of more than 150 similar facilities.)

That increasing power production will itself be part of the problem, the researchers found, creating greater demand for water at the same time that climate change significantly limits the supply.

The researchers analyzed databases of existing and planned coal-fired power plants, and combined that information with high-resolution hydrological maps to evaluate the possible strain on water supplies throughout the region. Then they applied different climate scenarios—increases in global temperature of 1.5, 2 and 3 degrees Celsius (2.7—4.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, increases set out as milestones in the Paris Agreement, a 2016 international accord to address climate change.

The researchers then considered different cooling systems and potential use of post-combustion CO2 capture equipment, and the water that might be needed to run them.

Quote
... "The numbers showed that there simply would not be enough water to cool all the power plants, but there is also a lot of local variability"

Open Access: Yaoping Wang et al, Vulnerability of existing and planned coal-fired power plants in Developing Asia to changes in climate and water resources, Energy & Environmental Science (2019).
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1543 on: September 21, 2019, 12:51:34 AM »
House, Senate Members To Introduce Bills To Protect Coal-Fired Power Plants From Carbon Tax
http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2019/09/house-members-to-introduce-bill-to.html
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On September 16, Representatives James Struzzi (R-Indiana), Donna Oberland (R-Clarion) and Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) announced plans to introduce legislation to protect coal-fired power plants from any proposed carbon tax by requiring the approval of the General Assembly to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or similar programs.
             Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the Senate by Senators Joe Pittman (R-Indiana), Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, and David Argall (R-Schuylkill).
"Since Pennsylvania deregulated its electricity market, 19 coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs) have or are in the process of closing or converting. If Pennsylvania were to adopt a carbon tax, such as that imposed by joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the remaining coal-fired EGUs would be forced to pay hundreds of millions in additional taxes and, as a result, will shut down.
"This would lead to the direct elimination of thousands of family sustaining jobs in those communities, not to mention the loss of millions in local and state tax revenues. It would also have significant negative economic consequences regionally as these coal-fired EGUs consume nearly one-fifth of Pennsylvania’s bituminous coal production, an industry that provides $6.91 billion in total economic output to Pennsylvania."

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1544 on: September 21, 2019, 06:36:48 PM »
Unless the rich west comes up with the money for these countries to implement renewable energy they will use what they can (and what they can get funded) to lift their people out of poverty. The UN cannot ask for something without providing the funds to make it happen. The poorer nations have been asking for this help in the UN climate conferences for a couple of decades now.

China is well past the point of being a "poorer nation".  They like to claim they're doing something about carbon emissions and pollution in China and then export their coal production and technology to other countries.  They're the most hypocritical nation on the planet by far, and it's about time the UN is calling them on it.

I wasn't talking about China, which is pretty close to entering the higher-income club. I meant the very poor countries that it is providing finance to to build the coal plants. The only other option these nations have is loans from the IMF/World Bank and private western banks that come with the condition of neoliberal restructuring and servitude. The rich nations are not providing any aid for these nations to build out renewable energy systems - that's what the UN should be bleating about.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1545 on: September 24, 2019, 08:56:41 PM »
As coal companies fail, the workers are being left with nothing
https://www.fastcompany.com/90407109/as-coal-companies-fail-the-workers-are-being-left-with-nothing
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If you ask her, Peggy Stanley can give you a rough running tally of the money that Blackjewel Mining owes her husband.

First, there are the paychecks. One was supposed to be sent out mid-July, after the company filed for bankruptcy, but it never came. There’s also the one that was sent out in the middle of June but bounced two weeks later when the company ran out of funds, causing the Stanleys’ account to be frozen. Peggy estimates those checks amount to around $5,000.

There’s also the money in their 401k, which the couple has been unable to access. And then there’s the mining equipment. Peggy’s husband, John, was on his shift at a mine in western Virginia when he was told to stop working on July 1. He left his supplies—including two pairs of boots, a light, and a hard hat—in his locker, thinking he could come back later to get them.

Since then, the gates have been locked. No employees have been allowed to go in, and Peggy says they were told the $400 worth of supplies in the locker had been stolen.

Paychecks Cut For W.Va. Blackjewel Miners; KY And VA Miners Still Waiting
https://ohiovalleyresource.org/2019/09/18/paychecks-cut-for-w-va-blackjewel-miners-ky-and-va-miners-still-waiting/
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Christina Burgess’ husband, Greg, ran heavy equipment at the Pax Mine. The 20-year coal mining veteran had been laid off before, but the family had never before experienced the fallout from a paycheck bouncing, as Greg’s did in early July.

“It’s been unreal,” Christina Burgess said.

The Burgess family received Greg’s owed wages late last week, but is still waiting for the check to clear a bank hold.

Blackjewel’s bad check created a series of challenges. The first few unemployment checks the family received went straight to the bank to get the account out of the red. In total, Christina said Blackjewel’s bankruptcy has cost her family about $3,000 in penalties and fees.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 09:11:27 PM by Tom_Mazanec »

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1546 on: October 01, 2019, 05:57:18 AM »
Coal imports by Indian power plants are growing at the fastest rate in five years

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Coal imports to produce electricity have already risen by five million tonnes year-on-year in the April-July period, at the end of which they stood at a total 23 million tonnes. In the rest of the fiscal year, they are expected to increase by another 10-12 million tonnes over their previous levels, said Vivek Jain, director at India Ratings. This would result in an annual growth of over 19%, the highest in at least five years.

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The capacity utilisation of ultra-mega power plants, built in coastal states like Gujarat and calibrated for Indonesian coal, has sharply improved, the outlook says.

The plants had faced an uncertain future after a change in Indonesian government policy raised coal prices in 2010. Earlier this year, the Indian electricity regulator allowed Adani Power, whose 4.6 gigawatts plant in Mundra port town is the country’s second largest, to increase tariffs to meet the rise in its fuel costs. The move has signaled similar approvals for other such plants.

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Though weak sales of automobiles and consumer goods have impacted industrial demand for electricity, rapid electrification of rural households by the government has ensured that the overall demand for power remains healthy, the outlook said. In the April-July period, national electricity demand grew 6.7% year-on-year.

https://qz.com/india/1710880/indian-coal-imports-rise-as-power-plants-face-cil-output-crunch/

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1547 on: October 01, 2019, 06:01:44 AM »
Can India Give Up Coal?

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India’s plans are not insubstantial. Spending on solar energy has exceeded that on coal plants across the country, with corporate giants like the Mahindra Group—with 200,000 employees globally—committing to a net-zero emissions goal. The question is whether it is enough, as India’s demand for energy rises alongside the expansion of its middle classes. Reuters reports that New Delhi is planning to invite bids from private companies to extract more coal from its vast natural reserves. (This move may also reduce a reliance on other countries: India’s imports of coal rose by 13 percent last year, worsening the country’s trade deficit.)

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Coal dependence. Coal usage has steadily increased in South Asia’s main economy despite moves to boost renewable energy, as shown below. The reality is that the demand for energy in a region of 1.8 billion people is rising too quickly for solar, wind, and nuclear sources alone to satisfy. While it is difficult to deny the needs of consumers in emerging markets, it is also very expensive to jump straight to carbon-neutral energy products. For all the strong words from South Asia’s leaders, and the damage already caused by climate change, it’s difficult to imagine dirty fuels going away—at least not without massive political and social consequences.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/24/can-india-give-up-coal-un-climate-summit-south-asia-narendra-modi-afghanistan-election-karzai/

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1548 on: October 01, 2019, 06:05:25 AM »
‘Coal is still king’ in Southeast Asia even as countries work toward cleaner energy

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KEY POINTS
Not only will coal continue to be the dominant fuel source in power generation in Southeast Asia, its use will grow and peak in 2027 before slowing, according to a Wood Mackenzie study.
The Indonesian government has targeted generating 23% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025 — almost double the 12% now, but it will be “difficult to achieve because capacity expansion plans are still dominated by coal,” Moody’s analysts say.
Global coal demand grew for a second straight year to reach 0.7% in 2018, International Energy Agency data shows

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However, the reality of rising power demand and affordability issues in the region mean that we will only start to see coal’s declining power post-2030,” Tao said on Sept. 25 when the consultancy released a new report.

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The coal industry has been facing widespread criticism from environmental campaigners for causing pollution.

But global coal demand grew for a second straight year to reach 0.7% in 2018, data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) showed.

In its report published in December, the IEA projected coal use through 2023 to be stable as strong consumption growth in Southeast Asia and India offsets declining usage in Europe and North America.

“Coal demand grows across much of Asia due to its affordability and availability,” the IEA in that report.

Not only will coal continue to be the dominant fuel source in power generation in Southeast Asia, its use will grow and peak in 2027 before slowing, the Wood Mackenzie study found. By 2040, coal will account for 36% of Southeast Asia’s energy mix for power generation, according to the consultancy.

The demand surge is primarily driven by Indonesia and Vietnam, accounting for almost 60% of Southeast Asian power demand by 2040, said Tao

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/01/coal-is-still-king-in-southeast-asia-despite-clean-energy-efforts.html

rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1549 on: October 01, 2019, 06:08:56 AM »
China to open $30bn coal railway by end of month

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Deemed the world’s longest heavy freight line, a $30bn railway built to haul coal from China’s northern mines to its eastern and central provinces is set to open by the end of this month.
The Haoji line will carry up to 200 million tonnes of coal a year from Haole Baoji in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to the city of Ji'an in Jiangxi province, a distance of around 1,800km.

China Railways has been working on the line for the past seven years, and is now completing work on the last section, which intersects with the Shanghai–Kunming Railway in Jiangxi’s Xinyu City.

The line will fuel China’s network of coal-fired plants – officially capped at 1,100GW – as well as what one recent report described as a “tsunami” of plants under construction, which may add another 259GW of installed capacity.

Although China has suffered severe air pollution, and is working to develop renewable energy, some 60% of its power is still generated from coal.

Bloomberg reports that the aim of the line is to reorientate the country’s coal distribution infrastructure, which is predominantly moves coal from western mines to eastern ports, where it is moved by ship to plants in the south.

The new line is set to cut the 20 days required by the seaborne route to three.

http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/china-open-30bn-coal-railway-end-month/