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rboyd

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1750 on: June 21, 2020, 12:04:00 AM »
Ken,

Good that the central Chinese government is stating a limit of 1100GW for coal, although they will have to win the usual centre-province battles over such things.

With capacity at 1040GW there is enough space to deal with the new 46GW new capacity this year, and then 48GW next year, if there are some retirements planned. Some of the groups worried about new plants may be missing the mark if those plants are replacing older less efficient ones - its the net additions not the gross. With the new plants more efficient on average the coal usage may actually fall once capacity stabilizes - less coal needed per unit of electricity.

The reduction in coal mines is part of an ongoing drive to get rid of smaller less efficient mines, i.e. make coal mining more efficient through larger mines with more automation.

The 2021 plans for wind and solar represent 14% and 16.8% growth in installed capacity, so not bad. The hydro number assumes stable to falling hydro capacity.

https://www.reuters.com/article/china-energy-coal/corrected-china-to-cap-2020-coal-fired-power-capacity-at-1100-gw-idUSL4N2DV0ZE

Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1751 on: June 26, 2020, 10:13:18 PM »
“Amazing detective work. 252 million years ago 96% of all marine species and 70% of land animals became extinct. Now we know why - lava igniting coal.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield/status/1273251530318254081

Coal-burning in Siberia led to climate change 250 million years ago
https://asunow.asu.edu/20200615-coal-burning-siberia-led-climate-change-250-million-years-ago

From 2018:
New geological research from Utah suggests the end-Permian extinction was mainly caused by burning coal, ignited by magma
Quote
Earth has so far gone through five mass extinction events – scientists are worried we’re on course to trigger a sixth – and the deadliest one happened 252 million years ago at the end of the Permian geologic period. In this event, coined “the Great Dying,” over 90% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species went extinct. It took about 10 million years for life on Earth to recover from this catastrophic event.

Scientists have proposed a number of possible culprits responsible for this mass extinction, including an asteroid impact, mercury poisoning, a collapse of the ozone layer, and acid rain. Heavy volcanic activity in Siberia was suspected to play a key role in the end-Permian event. ...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/mar/12/burning-coal-may-have-caused-earths-worst-mass-extinction
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gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1752 on: June 26, 2020, 10:29:21 PM »
https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/

The USA IEA
did its monthly update yesterday, but still very much pre-covid19 and early covid19 data, Coal continues its steep decline, and is actually steeper than the 12 month average graph shows.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2020, 09:16:14 PM by gerontocrat »
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gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1753 on: June 27, 2020, 11:16:43 PM »
But from Russia.... not the best of news

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2020/06/investor-breathes-new-life-major-arctic-coal-project
Investor breathes new life in major Arctic coal project
Roman Trotsenko is the new owner of the coal extraction licenses in the far northern Taymyr Peninsula.

Quote
Trotsenko on the 18th June formalized the acquisition of 75 percent of shares in the Arctic Mining Company and intends to forge ahead with big plans for coal production on the tundra.

The businessman, one of Russia’s richest, plans to invest 33 billion rubles in the project, Forbes informs.

Troubled project
The Arctic Mining Company was formerly owned by Dmitry Bosov, the businessman that in early May this year reportedly took his own life. Bosov and his investment company Alltech had great plans for the project and originally intended to extract several hundred million tons of high-quality coal from his many license areas in Taymyr.

However, progress was seriously hampered by a law suit from Russian environmental control authorities and lack of funds, and in early 2020 Bosov announced that he was abandoning the project.

By that time, construction workers had been in the remote and vulnerable lands since 2016 to prepare for project launch. Reportedly, $86 million had been spent on developments.

Several million tons
According to Forbes, the business deal is based on a swop of assets where Trotsenko gets the Taymyr coal licenses and Alltech takes over full control over the Pechora LNG project.

Revised plans for the coal project includes a 1 million tons production in year 2023 and five million tons by 2025. About 13 billion rubles ($167 million) are to be invested in regional exploration and infrastructure development while 20 billion is to be spent on the coal pits. Trotsenko himself intends to cover about 30 percent of the investments, while the remaining sums will be based on bank credits........
.......
Russia goes for coal
Demands for coals are in steep decline in Europe and other parts of the world, but Russia still envisions a significant growth in its own production.

A new state program for coal development until year 2035 includes an increase in domestic output by up to 50 percent.

According to the program, up to 668 million tons of coal can be extracted by 2035, of which up to 392 million tons can be exported.

China and India are seen as key markets for the carbon-rich black rocks.
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1754 on: June 28, 2020, 08:51:31 PM »
Colorado, U.S.
PRESS RELEASE:Colorado Springs Utilities Board Votes to Close Polluting Coal Plants and Invest in Renewables
Local grassroots organizations secure a win for climate action in Colorado Springs
Quote
Colorado Springs, CO — Today, in a historic 7-2 vote, the Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) Board voted to accelerate the timeline for closure for its two coal plants and make critical investments in renewable energy. Martin Drake, one of the nation’s last urban coal plants will now close by 2023 and Ray Nixon will close by 2030. The utility board voted to approve portfolio #17 for its 2020 Electric Resource Plan (ERP), replacing 416 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired power with 500MW of new wind energy, 150 MW of solar power, and over 400MW of battery storage in order to ensure modern and reliable energy for Colorado Springs. CSU leadership has ensured that no employees will lose their jobs in the utility’s energy, creating a national model for a just transition off fossil fuels.

“Today’s monumental decision will make our community safer without more fossil fuels. History tells us that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of ugly, toxic power plants in their neighborhoods. But this form of injustice is coming to an end in Colorado Springs,” said Amy Gray, Volunteer & JEDI Director with 350 Colorado.

The 500MW of new wind power will be Colorado Springs’ first investment in what is now the cheapest form of energy in the state. A 2019 analysis by Strategen found that retiring both Drake and Nixon by 2023 and replacing them with wind would save customers $160 million. ...
https://350colorado.org/press-releasecolorado-springs-utilities-board-votes-to-close-polluting-coal-plants-and-invest-in-renewables/
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ArcticMelt2

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1755 on: June 30, 2020, 12:04:05 PM »
https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2020-full-report.pdf

BP claims that China set a new coal production record in 2019.

On page 46 - 79.82 conditional energy joules in 2019 against 79.32 in 2013.

World production is also a world record - 167.58 against 166.64 in 2013.

On the contrary, there is a global decline in oil production (strongest increase in gas).

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1756 on: July 03, 2020, 01:15:08 AM »
https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2020-full-report.pdf

BP claims that China set a new coal production record in 2019.

On page 46 - 79.82 conditional energy joules in 2019 against 79.32 in 2013.

World production is also a world record - 167.58 against 166.64 in 2013.

On the contrary, there is a global decline in oil production (strongest increase in gas).

The report also notes, also on page 46, that consumption was down 0.6%.

Quote
World coal consumption fell by 0.6% (-0.9 EJ), its fourth decline in six years.

And the Covid recession has caused coal demand to drop dramatically.  Exporting countries are being hit hard.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/virus-to-cut-coal-demand-9-this-year-mining-association/

Quote
Virus to cut coal demand 9% this year – mining association
in Commodity News 15/06/2020   

The Covid-19 pandemic will result in a reduction of at least 9% in global seaborne thermal coal demand this year, the chairman of Indonesia’s Coal Mining Association (APBI) said.

Quote
The total represents around a 10% drop from the 2019 demand total.

India accounted for 40m tonnes of the downward revision, followed by China and South Korea, each with 10m tonnes, APBI estimates showed.

“There is a possibility for further downside to these demand numbers, if lockdowns are extended or reinstated,” he said.




Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1757 on: July 03, 2020, 01:26:34 AM »
Renewables are now so much cheaper than coal that replacing all of the existing coal power plants would save money.  Even in China.

https://rmi.org/insight/how-to-retire-early/

Quote
How To Retire Early
2020  |  By Rocky Mountain Institute

As the urgency of the climate crisis grows, new analysis reveals that coal is no longer the cheapest way to power the global economy. The cost of clean energy has fallen so far that new renewables are now cheaper than new coal plants virtually everywhere, and there are specific financial strategies that utilities and policymakers can use to engineer a faster phaseout of coal in various regions of the world.




Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1758 on: July 11, 2020, 12:17:18 AM »
The US EIA reports that coal has been the power source most impacted by the Covid-19 downturn.  It's share of the US electricity generation will decrease from 24% in 2019 to 18% this year.

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/electricity.php

Quote
Coal-fired electricity generation has been the energy source most affected by the reduction in electricity demand resulting from COVID-19 mitigation measures. EIA estimates that U.S. electric power sector coal generation was 314 billion kilowatthours (kWh) during the first half of 2020 compared with 467 billion kWh during the first half of 2019. Coal-fired generation has been falling faster than the overall level of electricity demand as a result of competition from other energy sources. In particular, the cost of natural gas has fallen to its lowest levels in 25 years. In addition, significant levels of new generating capacity using renewable energy sources have been added. EIA expects the share of total U.S. generation from coal-fired power plants will average 18% in 2020 compared with 24% in 2019.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1759 on: July 14, 2020, 12:37:06 AM »
While both China and the US are trying to prop up coal, both countries are failing to do so.  Coal just isn't competitive with the alternatives, formerly natural gas and now increasingly solar and wind power.

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/06/23/global-demise-of-coal-fired-generation-driven-by-idle-and-unprofitable-plants/

Quote
Global demise of coal-fired generation driven by idle and unprofitable plants

China grapples with overcapacity by slowing coal plant construction while more U.S. plants have closed during the first three years of the Trump administration than in Obama’s two terms.
June 23, 2020 K Kaufmann

The demise of coal is now a global phenomenon that — rather like Covid-19 — is no respecter of borders or governments, with both China and the United States grappling with the social and economic impacts of overcapacity.

In other words, baseload power just isn’t what it used to be, and too many coal plants around the world are sitting idle and unprofitable too much of the time. In China, the issue has surfaced in a recent government policy statement calling for the elimination of outdated coal-fired plants and stricter controls on new capacity.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., President Donald Trump’s efforts to revive the coal industry have not slowed the snowballing pace of plant closures, now running at a higher rate than during the eight years of the Obama administration. According to figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), reported in E&E News, 15 GW and 33 GW were retired during Obama’s first and second terms, respectively, versus 37 GW since Trump took office in 2017. Another 3.7 GW of capacity are projected to close in the next six months.

Quote
While China leads the world in solar capacity, its continuing reliance on coal and on the construction of new coal-fired plants to drive economic growth has also made it the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Coal accounted for 57.7% of the country’s energy consumption in 2019.

Capacity up, utilization down

But, according to a recent analysis published on the Carbon Brief website, as capacity has increased, utilization has gone down, with many Chinese coal companies running at a loss, and plants typically operating at 50% capacity.

Quote
The story in the U.S. is more familiar and more certain, with the EIA reporting coal-fired generation at its lowest point since 1976, undercut primarily by cheap natural gas and wind. Even with ongoing plant closures, utilization rates also fell to 48%, and for the first time, Americans consumed more renewable power, including hydroelectric, than coal-fired generation.


gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1760 on: July 28, 2020, 08:50:49 PM »
The coal graph derived from the US EIA data shows the decline & fall of coal.

But being a 12 month trailing average it conceals a stabilisation in the last 3 months. Temporary?
Month   Coal Production ('000 short tons)
Dec-2019   53,164
Jan-2020   56,243
Feb-2020   47,379
Mar-2020   46,061
Apr-2020   38,282
May-2020   36,347
Jun-2020   38,506
"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 #1761 on: July 28, 2020, 09:59:17 PM »
Vietnam is considering delaying or scrapping 13 planned coal plants and building natural gas and renewables instead.  Renewables would make up more than half of their capacity by 2030.

https://www.eco-business.com/news/vietnam-considers-scrapping-half-of-coal-power-plant-pipeline-in-favour-of-gas-and-renewables/

Quote
Vietnam considers scrapping half of coal power plant pipeline in favour of gas and renewables
With coal development sluggish, the country eyes alternative power sources to meet burgeoning demand. Analysts say the plan is contingent on gas prices staying low.

By Tim Ha
July 28, 2020

The coming decade could see Vietnam shelve nearly half of its currently planned coal power plant capacity as alternative sources of energy take up growing shares in its power mix, the government-affiliated research body tasked with drawing up the nation’s next power sector roadmap has said.

Quote
Together, the 13 plants concerned boast a staggering capacity of 17.1 gigawatts (GW), almost matching the current 18.9 GW of coal power installed. Development scenarios presented at the meeting, seen by Eco-Business, show Vietnam expects wind and solar energy together to comprise the largest share in its capacity mix by as early as 2030.

Quote
In a statement released last week, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Vietnam-based environmental group Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) said amid plummeting clean energy prices, difficulties in obtaining financing and increasingly ambitious climate targets, it was unlikely the 13 projects would be revived, once shelved.

Quote
Vietnam’s coal power expansion strategy has been among the most ambitious in Southeast Asia, with consumption of the fossil fuel—the single biggest contributor to man-made climate change—tripling over the past decade.

Beyond the nation’s power sector, the cancellation plans are set to further shake up the Asian coal market if formalised. The announcement comes a month after Bangladesh indicated it may review up to 90 per cent of planned coal power capacity. Southeast Asia’s largest coal producer, Indonesia, has already had to drastically cut production amid falling demand this year.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1762 on: July 29, 2020, 02:17:51 AM »

April 2020

% Change from April 2019

May 2020

% Change from May 2019
Total generation (GWh)
 
274,876
-6.7%
303,434
-7.6%
Retail sales (GWh)
 
257,958
-4.1%
270,325
-7.4%
Heating/Cooling degree-days
 
372
27.0%
108
-11.5%
Coal stocks (k-tons)
 
151,998
39.6%
154,340
33.2%
Coal consumption (k-tons)
 
23,617
-29.4%
26,827
-33.0%
Natural gas consumption (Mcf)
 
780,120
3.3%
849,293
-0.4%
Nuclear generation (GWh)
 
59,170
-2.3%
64,338
-4.1%
 
Information from EIA (US) but reformatted
Electricity production represents about 91% of coal consumption in the US. So this represents most of US coal consumption. Consumption seems to have decreased about a third from last year and stock piles are about 50% larger than last year and growing. It may just be some of the coal mines are resisting shutting down hoping for demand to pick up. I hope remaining demand evaporates quickly.                                     
 added: I don't think demand has stabilized for coal even temporarily. It looks to me like coal companies hope it is just covid 19 that is curbing demand so they are trying not to shut operations. They know if they shut operations even temporarily they are less likely to restore operations.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2020, 02:28:05 AM by interstitial »

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1763 on: July 29, 2020, 06:40:23 PM »
^^^
I don't think the coal producers can hold off collapse much longer.  US coal production continues to decrease rapidly.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Coal-Production-Crashes-To-1978-Lows.html

Quote
U.S. Coal Production Crashes To 1978 Lows
By Julianne Geiger - Jul 28, 2020

U.S. coal production fell another 7% in 2019—the lowest amount of coal produced in the United States since 1978, during the national coal miners' strike, according to the Energy Information Agency (EIA).

And it is set to fall even further in 2020 as the international appetite for coal has waned with the pandemic.

U.S. coal production totaled 706 million short tones in 2019, compared to 756 million short tons in the year prior.

This year is shaping up to be even worse for coal, as production is expected to dip to levels not seen since the '60s.

Quote
Arizona stopped its coal production late last year, while Kansas and Arkansas stopped production in 2017 and 2018 respectively, shortening the list of states that produce the energy source that is now looked upon most unfavorably, even among the not-terribly-climate-conscious crowd.

For 2020, the EIA's outlook on coal production in the U.S. is grim, with the agency expecting another annual loss of 29%. The EIA uses railcar loading data to estimate production, which as of July 18, were 27.1% off compared to the same period last year.

The anticipated dip this year is primarily due to a fall in U.S. coal exports, which were 29% off as of May, compared to the same five months in 2019.

gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1764 on: July 29, 2020, 07:19:40 PM »
The glory days for Aussie Coal are gone...

But the Morrison Government are out-Trumping Trump in defying the inevitable. (especially as China / Aussie diplomatic relations are at rock bottom, and from what Ken says Indonesia would sell to China at almost any price).
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1765 on: July 29, 2020, 08:20:46 PM »
Quote
Coal - GB Grid (@UK_Coal) 7/29/20, 2:02 PM
GB Grid: #Coal is generating 0.00GW (0.00%) out of 31.83GW
Continuous time without coal: 41 days 3 hours
https://twitter.com/uk_coal/status/1288535281491226624 
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1766 on: July 31, 2020, 07:31:47 PM »
While we're mainly concerned about carbon emissions on this site, let's not forget what else coal brings to the surface.

https://www.wvpublic.org/post/judge-rules-justice-controlled-coal-company-liable-pollution-violations-wva-mine#stream/0

Quote
Judge Rules Justice-Controlled Coal Company Liable For Pollution Violations At W.Va. Mine
By Brittany Patterson • Jul 27, 2020

A federal judge has ruled a coal company owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is liable for more than 3,000 violations of federal clean water standards stemming from pollution discharged from a coal mine in southern West Virginia.

In a motion issued Monday, U.S. District Judge David Faber ruled Bluestone Coal Corporation discharged selenium at the Red Fox Surface Mine in McDowell County many times at levels above its permitted allowances from July 2018 to March 2020. Selenium is a chemical element found in coal that accumulates in the body and has been linked to growth deformities and reproductive failure in fish.

Quote
Faber also ruled that the company violated its permit under the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 183 times.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1767 on: August 05, 2020, 10:52:14 PM »
Global coal-fire power plant capacity dropped by 2.9 GW in the first half of 2020, for the first time on record!  It would've been even more, but for China.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-coal/chinas-new-coal-projects-account-for-90-of-global-total-in-first-half-study-idUSKBN24Z00B

Quote
China's new coal projects account for 90% of global total in first half - study
David Stanway

SHANGHAI, August 3 (Reuters) - China built more than half of the world’s new coal-fired power plants this year and accounted for 90% of new planned capacity, a study showed on Monday, with Beijing still commissioning new projects even as capacity worldwide declines.

Global coal-fired generation capacity saw a net decline of 2.9 gigawatts (GW) from January to June, the first drop on record for a six-month period, thanks to plant retirements in Europe and elsewhere, the U.S.-based think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM) said in the study.

But China added 53.2 GW of capacity to its project pipeline in the first half of this year - 90% of the global total - even as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to boost its use of renewable energy as part of a broader anti-pollution drive.

Quote
China said that most of its new generation capacity would come from renewables this year but also set targets allowing another 60 GW of coal-fired projects to go into operation. It has more than 250 GW of new capacity either proposed or under construction.

But it remains unclear how much will be completed, with existing plants already facing losses as a result of overcapacity and low utilisation rates. China has issued investment warnings to 10 regions, saying returns from coal-fired power would fall below government bond yields.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1768 on: August 16, 2020, 05:47:30 PM »
Quote
Coal - GB Grid (@UK_Coal) 8/12/20, 10:52 AM
This #Coal free run ended at 55 Days 0 Hours 25 Minutes.
Demand during this time was met by: Gas 40%, Nuclear 19%, Wind 17%, Biomass 8%, Solar 8%, Imports 6%, Large Hydro 1%, Storage <1%
https://twitter.com/uk_coal/status/1293561019013435398
Graphs at the link.

Coal - GB Grid (@UK_Coal) 8/16/20, 5:20 AM
GB Grid: Last 3 Year's #Coal generation. #CoalTrendCharts #GridTrendCharts
https://twitter.com/uk_coal/status/1294926949845008385
Graph below, more at the link.
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1769 on: August 21, 2020, 07:41:13 PM »
The energy transition is happening faster than the experts expected.  Renewables are on pace to produce more electricity than coal in the US this year, something the EIA didn't expect to happen until 2031.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-08-17/coal-is-in-spectacular-u-s-decline-despite-trump-orders

Quote
Coal’s Days May Be Over in the U.S.

Renewables will most likely surpass the fossil fuel in electricity generation this year despite the Trump administration’s efforts to prop it up.
By Justin Fox
August 17, 2020

Last year, there were 38 days when U.S. utilities got more electricity from hydroelectric, wind and solar generation than from coal, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. So far this year, according to the IEEFA and my own crunching of U.S. Energy Information Administration data, it’s already 122 — including every day in the month of April and all but three in May.

n the summer months, higher electricity demand and decreased production from wind turbines and dams give coal a seasonal boost, but expect renewables to start outgenerating it again in the fall. The EIA is now projecting that renewables will produce more electricity than coal for 2020 as a whole — a milestone that as recently as last year it didn’t anticipate coming until 2031.

gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1770 on: August 22, 2020, 04:41:06 PM »
According to the IEA, coal made a bit of a comback for use in electricity production in May,( even in the US of A ?!).
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1771 on: August 22, 2020, 09:22:57 PM »

According to the IEA, coal made a bit of a comback for use in electricity production in May,( even in the US of A ?!).
In the financial world the US "comeback" is refered to as a "dead cat bounce" not a comeback. Coal is not completely dead in the US but it is getting there.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2020, 09:31:13 PM by interstitial »

gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1772 on: August 26, 2020, 10:26:45 PM »

According to the IEA, coal made a bit of a comback for use in electricity production in May,( even in the US of A ?!).
In the financial world the US "comeback" is refered to as a "dead cat bounce" not a comeback. Coal is not completely dead in the US but it is getting there.
Latest data from the US EIA Monthly Energy Review released today - 26 Aug, confirms the dead-cat bounce in production. But the 12 month trailing average gives a better idea of the direction of travel.
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1773 on: August 30, 2020, 11:58:38 PM »
I spoke to soon. US electricity use peaks in late summer. While overall drop in coal continues covid 19 impact was less than I thought. 12 month average is a better statistic.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1774 on: September 01, 2020, 08:05:01 PM »
The EIA has an update on coal power plant retirements.  In the US, 95 GW of coal-fired power plants were retired from 2011 to June 2020 and another 25 GW are planned to be retired by 2025.

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=44976

Quote
September 1, 2020
As U.S. coal-fired capacity and utilization decline, operators consider seasonal operation

Coal-fired electricity generating capacity in the United States is retiring, as tighter air emission standards and decreased cost-competitiveness relative to other power resources make coal-fired power plants less economical. From 2011 to mid-2020, 95 gigawatts (GW) of coal capacity was closed or switched to another fuel and another 25 GW is slated to shut down by 2025, based on information power plant operators reported to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The closures will decrease the capacity of the U.S. coal fleet to less than 200 GW, more than one-third lower than its peak of 314 GW in 2011. As the coal-fired fleet is retired and remaining plants are utilized less, plant owners are evaluating new operating models, such as seasonal operation.

Quote
The coal power plant fleet is used much less during electricity’s shoulder months of spring (March, April, and May) and fall (September, October, and November). During the winter and summer months, the coal fleet operates at an average capacity factor, or utilization rate, of more than 60%. However, in the spring and fall, the average capacity factor has been less than 50%.

Quote
Whether or not seasonal operation sufficiently improves the economics of coal plants remains to be seen. In 2018, owners of a plant in Wisconsin and a plant in Texas switched to seasonal operation. However, the practice lasted for less than a year because both facilities were completely shut down shortly thereafter.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1775 on: September 01, 2020, 08:12:12 PM »
Australia is more coal dependent than most countries, due to the outsize influence that coal mining companies have on its government.  Even there, coal is declining because it cant compete economically with renewables.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/01/influx-of-renewables-sees-coal-power-plants-run-well-below-capacity-increasing-chance-of-closures

Quote
Influx of renewables sees coal power plants run well below capacity, increasing chance of closures
Coal generation at power plants in NSW and Queensland may be falling faster than anticipated
Adam Morton Environment editor
31 Aug 2020

Coal power plants in New South Wales are running less than 60% of the time due to an influx of renewable energy, increasing the likelihood some could become economically unviable and close earlier than planned.

An analysis by Hugh Saddler, an energy consultant and ANU honorary associate professor, also found coal generation in Queensland had dropped to less than 70% of capacity as more cheap solar and wind came online.

Quote
AGL’s Liddell coal plant is scheduled to close by early 2023 after the company resisted a campaign by the Morrison government for it to extend its life. Saddler said the fall in demand for coal over the past two years suggested other plants that have yet to confirm closure plans could follow.

He said coal could be running at 50% capacity in NSW by 2022 and 60% capacity in Queensland by 2025 on current trends.

Quote
The Australian Energy Market Operator this year found solar and wind were the cheapest forms of new electricity generation, and that the national grid had the technical capacity to run on at least 75% renewable energy and could at peak times reach this level by 2025.

Quote
The move from coal to renewable energy has been more rapid in the southern states than in NSW and Queensland. The proportion of wind and solar in Victoria and South Australia has almost doubled in the past four years to reach 29%, while coal’s share fell from 72% to 53%.

By comparison, NSW and Queensland get just 14.5% of their energy from wind and solar. But that was expected to grow as the states promised new renewable energy zones that would put further pressure on coal.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1776 on: September 10, 2020, 07:28:21 PM »
South Korea will close 10 coal plants by the end of 2022.  It will close at least half of its currently operating coal-fired power plants by 2034.  Renewables will replace them.

https://www.powermag.com/south-korea-will-close-half-its-coal-fired-fleet/

Quote
South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet
Sep 8, 2020
by Darrell Proctor

South Korea’s president said the country will shutter 30 more coal-fired power plants by 2034, and bring additional solar and wind power resources online in the next five years in order to meet emissions reductions targets.

President Moon Jae-in made the announcement Sept. 8 in a speech he delivered virtually for the United Nations’ International Day for Clean Air for blue skies event. The president said his administration will close 10 of those operating coal-fired plants by the end of 2022. He also has called for the country to phase out nuclear power.

South Korea has about 60 operating coal plants, which generate about 40% of the country’s electricity. The country over the past three years has implemented temporary shutdowns of plants that are more than 30 years old, including idling about half the coal-fired fleet earlier this year in an effort to reduce air pollution.

Quote
Jae-in’s administration has ended construction of any new coal-fired power plants—the country in 2017, the year Jae-in took office, reached a new high for coal-fired power generation—while supporting renewable energy resources, including the use of fuel cells. He said in his speech Monday that climate change has become “the most important problem in our generation,” noting the country has been hit with three major typhoons in a two-week period in late August and early September. He emphasized that the country needs clean air, in part to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, and also to promote economic growth.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1777 on: September 11, 2020, 07:42:18 PM »
US coal production is down more than 20% from last year.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/weekly-us-coal-production-totals-10-7-million-st-down-20-5-on-year-eia/

Quote
Weekly US coal production totals 10.7 million st, down 20.5% on year: EIA

in Commodity News 11/09/2020   

Houston — Weekly US coal production was estimated at 10.7 million st in the week ended Sept. 5, down 3.4% from the previous week, Energy Information Administration data showed Sept. 10.

Quote
Over 36 weeks, total US output was estimated at 366 million st, down 23.7% year on year. Annualized, production is projected at 528 million st, down 24.9% from 2019.

gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1778 on: September 17, 2020, 06:45:02 PM »
While there is certainly an acceleration in reports of coal being closed down and replaced with renewable energy sources, coal is still king with natural gas the contender. I attach IEA data on electricity production to June 2020 for OECD total, USA, and the non-OECD countries of China and India.
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1779 on: September 21, 2020, 08:01:34 PM »
GE stops coal
Quote
General Electric Co (GE.N), one of the world’s largest makers of coal-fired power plants, said today it will stop making new coal-fired power plants. The US industrial conglomerate will shift its focus to green energy. GE said the exit from the coal business could include divestitures, site closures, and layoffs.

CNN Business points out that this decision is a huge pivot for the company:

The move marks a dramatic reversal for GE. Just five years ago, the company doubled down on coal by acquiring Alstom’s power business, which makes coal-fueled turbines.

That $9.5 billion deal, GE’s biggest-ever industrial purchase, proved to be a disaster because coal has been crushed by the rise of natural gas and a shift toward solar, wind and renewable energy. Since then, GE has laid off thousands of power workers, slashed its dividend to a penny, fired two CEOs, and sharply written down the value of its power business.
https://electrek.co/2020/09/21/egeb-general-electric-coal-airbus-oxfam-emissions/
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1780 on: September 22, 2020, 10:21:23 PM »
China is preparing their 14th five-year plan to cover 2021 - 2026.  Sources indicate that they will accelerate their plan to peak emissions from 2030 to 2025.  China will be requiring 20% primary energy use from non-carbon sources by 2025.  This would strand a lot of coal power plants that were built in the last two decades.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-09-21/coal-s-last-refuge-tumbles-with-china-s-renewable-energy-plan

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Coal’s Last Refuge Crumbles With China’s Renewables Plan

Beijing’s latest energy policy will sharply increase wind and solar, but can’t save the climate on its own.
By David Fickling
September 21, 2020

Quote
On that front, good news may finally be emerging. Beijing is lifting its energy-transition ambitions in its 14th five-year plan, running from 2021 to 2025, people familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg News. A plan to derive 20% of its primary energy from non-fossil fuels may be brought forward by five years from 2030 and the share of coal in the energy mix cut to 52% by the same date from 57.5% this year, according to the report.

You need to decode those numbers a little to see why such apparently modest changes are a big deal. “Primary energy” is a concept that’s a little baffling to non-specialists, including not just the power delivered as electricity but the stuff that’s burned in vehicle engines and industrial boilers. It also makes no adjustment for the fact that the relatively low efficiency of turbines means only about 40% of the primary energy that goes into a thermal power station as fuel comes out as electricity.

Adjust the figures according to those rules of thumb, and things come more into focus. Electricity accounts for about 48% of China’s final energy mix. If 20% is going to come from non-fossil fuels, that means about 42% of China’s grid in 2025 will be renewable- or nuclear-powered, up from about 32% at present.

Quote
Still, the prospect of a juggernaut of Chinese solid fuel destroying the world’s climate goals — a very real prospect, given some of the pro-coal noises that have emerged while the five-year plan has been under development — is looking more remote. China has been the world’s most important redoubt of lingering coal demand. As those defenses crumble, the prospect of keeping the world’s emissions within more manageable limits looks a little brighter.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1781 on: September 25, 2020, 01:07:34 PM »
Monthly update from US Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Coal production up for a third month.

Production in'000 short tons.
May-2020   36,934
Jun-2020   39,259
Jul-2020   43,087
Aug-2020   47,394

But Aug 2020 production less than August 2019 by 25%, and the 12 month trailing average shows the Trump effect - which was not so big, is well and truly dead.
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1782 on: September 30, 2020, 07:56:14 PM »
Yet another US utility, this time one based in Texas and operating in Illinois, announces plans to retire coal plants early.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/ct-more-illinois-coal-plants-closing-20200930-bl2saewbzvha3f52r42fcni53y-story.html

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Texas company to close all of its Illinois coal-fired power plants, another sign the global transition to clean energy is accelerating
By Michael Hawthorne
Chicago Tribune |
Sep 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM

In a move that promises cleaner air in Chicago and other cities as far away as New York and Boston, a Texas-based company announced Tuesday it will close its Illinois fleet of coal-fired power plants within a decade.

Vistra Energy absorbed nine of the state’s coal plants during a corporate merger just two years ago. Like its predecessors, the company found it increasingly difficult to profit from burning coal amid competition from cheaper, cleaner natural gas and renewable energy.

Scuttling the Illinois plants — and three others in Ohio — is part of Vistra’s plan to gradually shift its investments to solar installations and industrial-size batteries that store power for when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

Quote

Only 15% of the electricity generated in Illinois last year came from Vistra coal plants. But the company’s fleet was responsible for nearly half the heat-trapping carbon dioxide and lung-damaging sulfur dioxide emitted by the state’s power plants during 2019, according to federal records.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1783 on: October 03, 2020, 10:42:14 AM »
First new deep coalmine in UK for 30 years gets go ahead

...

West Cumbria Mining (WCM) said it plans to mine under the seabed to extract around 2.7m tonnes of metallurgical coal annually, which is solely for use within industry and not for power stations. Steel and chemical factories in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire and Port Talbot are expected to burn the coal’s output, with the company arguing that the coal will replace imports and will not increase emissions because it will not be shipped over from the US.

...

Assuming the mine becomes operational, the metallurgical coal will supply UK and European steel-making plants, which currently import around 60m tonnes a year from the US, Canada, Russia and Australia.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/02/first-new-deep-coalmine-in-uk-for-30-years-gets-green-light
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1784 on: October 10, 2020, 09:53:12 PM »
Britain:
Max Roser: "Almost unbelievably fast progress here in Britain. Coal is disappearing rapidly. This visualization shows the daily share of Britain's electricity that is generated by coal. In 2012 still 40% was generated by burning coal. Now we go months without any.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/maxcroser/status/1313827104312750081
First graph below.

Australia:
simon holmes à court: " can’t believe @JoshFrydenberg & @AngusTaylorMP just gave $millions to prop up a 42 year old coal power station (owned by an LNP donor) that emits as much CO₂ as the _entire_ domestic aviation industry in a normal year. ...but they really did.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/simonahac/status/1313424268361785344
Second graph below.
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gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1785 on: October 28, 2020, 12:35:32 PM »
US Coal data from the EIA

Coal production in September 23% less than Sept 2019.
The graph shows that on a 12 month trailing average basis it's goodbye coal.

However...
In the 12 months June 2019 to May 2020 US coal stocks increased by about 43 million short tons.
But in June and July total stock drawdown was 19 million tons, and it looks like all that was used in making electricity - the use of coal for electricity increased from 27 million tons in May to 50 million tons in July.

Is this a last gasp of the coal industry?
Is it the (hopefully) last attempt of the Trump administration to revive the coal industry?
Or is it the coal producers flogging off coal stocks dirt cheap as part of the close down process?

The data will tell us as time goes by.
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Tor Bejnar

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1786 on: October 28, 2020, 03:38:27 PM »
I read this elsewhere a few days ago - it belongs here:
From Wikipedia:
Quote
Robert Edward Murray (January 13, 1940 – October 25, 2020) was an American [coal] mining engineer and businessman. He founded and was the chief executive officer of Murray Energy, a mining corporation based in St. Clairsville, Ohio, until it filed for bankruptcy. Murray was widely criticized for his denial of climate change, and his actions following the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse. He died on October 25, 2020.
He suffered from black lung.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1787 on: October 28, 2020, 04:59:38 PM »
Quote
Is this a last gasp of the coal industry?

Even the former governor of the heart-of-coal-country, deep red Republican state of Kentucky is “proudly” doing ads featuring the continuing loss of coal jobs, despite the fight against the “war on coal,” and urging people to vote for Biden and the Democrats. The shift is undeniable.
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1788 on: October 28, 2020, 05:15:28 PM »
Or is it the coal producers flogging off coal stocks dirt cheap as part of the close down process?

If you have an oversupply of a product you can either sit on it and hope for a return of sales/prices through increased demand; or you can sell it off at a loss and claim back the loss off taxes.

As the demand for coal is unlikely to ever return to the prior levels, I'd say they took the loss and put it on the books.
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1789 on: October 28, 2020, 07:35:08 PM »
I read this elsewhere a few days ago - it belongs here:
From Wikipedia:
Quote
Robert Edward Murray (January 13, 1940 – October 25, 2020) was an American [coal] mining engineer and businessman. He founded and was the chief executive officer of Murray Energy, a mining corporation based in St. Clairsville, Ohio, until it filed for bankruptcy. Murray was widely criticized for his denial of climate change, and his actions following the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse. He died on October 25, 2020.
He suffered from black lung.
He applied for black lung benifit that he fought so hard against.

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1790 on: October 29, 2020, 12:05:04 AM »
That made him a 'good' Republican.  :o
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1791 on: November 05, 2020, 03:53:30 PM »
 McKinley Valentine (@mckinleaf)11/5/20, 3:05 AM
Quote

can't tell if this is hilarious or they're supervillains doing the thing conspiracy theorists always [think] organisations are doing (they put the secret symbol of their evil right in the name!!)
 
https://twitter.com/mckinleaf/status/1324261585855029248 
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gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1792 on: November 17, 2020, 08:36:46 PM »
King Coal fights back... and Big Finance is there to help.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/12/thermal-coal-firms-climate-pledge-report-paris-goals
Almost half of thermal coal firms set to defy climate pledge – report

Report identifies 935 firms finance industry needs to blacklist to meet Paris goals

Quote
Almost half the companies involved in the thermal coal industry are expected to defy global climate commitments by deepening their coal interests in the coming years, according to a report.

The study, by the green campaign group Urgewald, revealed that almost 1,000 companies should be blacklisted by investors because they remain tied to the thermal coal value chain almost four years after the Paris climate agreement came into effect.

Almost 440 of these companies plan to build coal plants, mines or other infrastructure in the years ahead, according to Urgewald’s global coal exit list, which it produced alongside 30 NGO partners. Meanwhile, only 25 companies on the list have set a date to phase out their coal use.

Heffa Schücking, the director of Urgewald, said the findings should provide a wake-up call to investors who planned to continue to back companies linked to the coal industry as global governments signal a shift to cleaner energy sources.

“When we speak to the financial industry many believe that it’s important to stick with these companies through the energy transition. But half of these companies aren’t interested in transitioning,” Schücking said.

The global coal exit list includes all energy companies that either hold more than 5GW of coal-fired power plant capacity, produce 10m tons of thermal coal a year, or rely on coal for a fifth of their energy generation or revenue.

The list also includes a growing number of companies outside of the energy industry that are planning to invest in coal power alongside established energy players, or to meet their future energy needs.

The ongoing financial support for coal-fired power plants has caused the world’s coal-fired power plant capacity to grow by 137GW since the Paris climate agreement came into effect, or the same amount as the coal plant fleets of Germany, Russia and Japan combined.

The pipeline for new coal-fired power plants has reached 522GW-worth of coal-fired power plants, of which half are expected to be built in China, where four of the world’s top five coal plant developers are based.

China Energy plans to build 43GW of coal-power capacity followed by China Datang (34GW), China Huaneng (29GW) and China Huadian (15GW). The world’s fifth most prolific coal-plant developer is India’s NTPC, which has plans for another 14GW of coal-power capacity.

“Waiting for coal companies to transition is a recipe for runaway climate change,” Schücking said. “Unless financial institutions speed up their exit from the industry, we will fail the most basic of all climate tests: leaving coal behind.”
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1793 on: November 17, 2020, 11:38:07 PM »
As more manufacturers abandon coal production, one wonders who will build and maintain the new coal plants that are being planned.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/How-Fast-Will-The-Electric-Industry-Exit-Coal.html

Quote
How Fast Will The Electric Industry Exit Coal?
By Leonard Hyman & William Tilles - Nov 17, 2020

What do Siemens, General Electric and Toshiba have in common— other than the obvious: they are global manufacturers of electrical equipment? The answer is that this year all three announced they would no longer construct coal-fired electric power generating projects. Regardless of how managements describe this action, we believe their reasoning is simple: they see little future in the coal business. Think of the impact of this decision as akin to what happens when a computer firm no longer wants to support a software program or operating system. Customers can keep using it but who will spend money to develop process improvements? How long with these manufacturers wholeheartedly support their legacy products? No doubt they will assure existing customers of their enduring fealty to old coal but we suspect users familiar with the problems caused by unsupported legacy products might start thinking about accelerating timelines for coal plant shutdowns.

Quote
We believe that the global electric utility industry faces two main challenges. The first is a typical asset replacement or modernization cycle. The twist here is that the transition that utilities desire, from coal to natural gas, is under fire on environmental grounds. More utility scale wind, solar and storage seems a likelier result. New gas plant construction will carry increased stranded asset risk going forward.

The second challenge for the electric utility industry is part of a newer, broader displacement cycle—or electrification —where electricity produced in an environmentally benign fashion will increasingly be called upon to displace fossil fuel usage. The implications for transportation are clear at least in terms of the potential for battery electric vehicles of all sizes. And natural gas usage is also being gradually displaced in home and commercial uses with heat pumps and induction burners for stoves.

Quote
Despite the environmental foot dragging among US electric utilities overall, electric companies elsewhere have not been slow to act. Vattenfall, the Swedish-based European utility not only expects to exit coal fired power generation by 2030 but is also contemplating closure of its newest, most efficient coal station because it is no longer profitable. Similarly Rome-based ENEL, a truly international utility, has been closing coal stations and expects to exit coal on a worldwide basis by 2025. Iberdrola, the Spanish utility with holdings around the word, finished closing its coal stations in 2020. US utilities, however, are taking a more leisurely approach and acting as if the year 2050 is the deadline for some broad environmental compliance.

Quote
This leads us back to renewables along with two big “ifs”. If US utilities choose a strategy of intentionally over building renewables like wind and solar AND construct considerable new transmission investment to best utilize this new capacity, then natural gas may play a continuing role as a peaking or cycling asset around periods of unusual demand. But even this implies the increasing relevance of base load gas fired power plants. Ultimately gas as a boiler fuel cannot compete with wind and solar. On a pure economic basis gas is on the way out, too.

It looks more and more as if the question is not whether but how fast the electric industry will exit fossil fuels

kassy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1794 on: November 19, 2020, 02:08:33 PM »
Controversial Kenyan Coal Plant’s Future In Jeopardy As Major Chinese Bank Pulls Funding

The future of one of Africa’s biggest fossil energy projects looks bleak following reports that the main financial backer for the 1050 megawatt Lamu coal power plant in Kenya is pulling out of the project.

The US$2 billion plant, to be operated by Amu Power, was set to be built in Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along Kenya's coast. The move by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to withdraw its financing could potentially end the controversial project — welcome news for environmental campaigners who are cautiously optimistic about the development.

According to a statement by Save Lamu, one the groups at the forefront in opposing it, the ICBC had decided not to finance the plant due to the environmental and social risks associated with it. DeSmog was unable to reach ICBC for comment.


...

The ICBC is the latest major partner to pull out of the project, according to Ninteretse. The move comes after the African Development Bank pulled out in 2019, followed by General Electric withdrawing its support this past September.


https://www.desmog.co.uk/2020/11/19/controversial-kenyan-coal-plant-s-future-jeopardy-major-chinese-bank-pulls-funding
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Re: Coal
« Reply #1795 on: November 25, 2020, 07:39:25 AM »
Coal and miners spiral down together: Lussenhop at BBC

"The Colstrip plant is fed by a nearby open-pit strip mine, and together, this so-called "mine to mouth" operation employs about 650 workers at its peak ...  a city where coal energy is pretty much the sole economic driver, making up as much as 80% of its tax revenue ... this tiny city boasts a $12m annual budget, which translates into excellent schools, immaculate city parks and gleaming recreation facilities. The fire and police departments are fully staffed, crime and property taxes are low"

"Colstrip earlier that day - a town of less than 2,300 residents with one gas station and one grocery store"

"in 2019 ... two of the companies who own a share of the energy output from Colstrip announced that they were shuttering their portion of the plant, known as Units 1 and 2. "

"Those closures led Hunter to move his family to Arizona, where he's originally from. Although he still has a job in Colstrip and travels there to work, he no longer plans to raise his family there. He worries the local high school won't even exist four years from now"

""It's been trickling away here for 10 years, watching this town get a little bit smaller, get a little bit smaller," "

"Williams - a former plant administrator who helped incorporate the city in 1998 and has served as its mayor for the majority of the years since ... said that his residents will not be the only ones suffering the loss of coal tax dollars, the entire state will feel that pain. "

"I feel that those large, multibillion [dollar] companies that have made millions and millions of dollars as a result of the efforts of the people that live and work in Colstrip place little value on what their futures are,"

"They understand the debt that they owe to this community. They understand it, whether they'll recognise it with actions, I doubt."

"It's the investors and the utilities that have the most say in this," he said. "The policies handed down from Washington or from the state legislature can make it easier to get a mine permit or to get a power plant permit. But they have no swing over what the financials is."

"perhaps it could become a destination retirement community, or a hotbed of wind power, with its valuable transmission lines that run all the way to the Pacific Northwest. There is already a wind farm under development in the area"

"The NPRC released a study showing that if coal companies do a thorough clean-up of the 6.7 million cubic yards of toxic coal ash currently sitting in ponds on the plant property, the project could yield 218 jobs. "

"One job affects seven people. Well, if there's 200 people working from the reservation just south of here, working here in Colstrip, that job affects 1,400 people due to disparities in the system,"

"At the end of the day, these are a business. And when those businesses don't make money anymore, they shut them down."

"The virus ripped through the Northern Cheyenne reservation, infecting nearly half the population  ... Small lost several members of his own circle to the virus, including his grandfather, his 48-year-old cousin, and a close childhood friend who was only 45. At the tail end of his election, Small contracted the virus himself. "

"I've lost so much of my family here lately that you know, I'm kind of hitting that point where, shit, I don't need to stick around. Nobody left,"

"Every time you lose something, there's less of something to come home to. I don't know, maybe in the end, I'll go on a journey of some sorts and never look back. You never know."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-55050347

I been thru there, just east of where I-90 makes the bend south after Billings. Real big sky country.

sidd


gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1796 on: November 26, 2020, 04:00:18 PM »
USA Energy data from the EIA to August 2020 https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/

Coal production & Consumption graph attached. The graph does not show that in the last 2 months coal stocks have reduced by 20 million tons, (about equivalent to 2 weeks current production levels). It has been used to maintain a high level of use of coal in electricity production.

That the 12 month trailing average of monthly production is still in excess of production is down to coal exports - though this also seems to be in long-term decline.

However, monthly coal production is down nearly 25% on a year ago. All the signs are of an industry in its dying throes.

« Last Edit: November 26, 2020, 04:07:18 PM by gerontocrat »
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Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1797 on: December 01, 2020, 10:02:46 PM »
Abandoned coal mines could provide renewable geothermal heat sources for homes and other buildings.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9004929/Dozens-abandoned-coal-mines-used-geothermal-heating.html

Quote
Mapped: Dozens of abandoned coal mines across Britain that could be repurposed to provide low-carbon heating for homes using geothermal energy

    The maps show geothermal activity deep within long since abandoned mines
    It is hoped developers and planners will use the maps and the date within them
    When mines are flooded the water can become a sustainable heat source
    These mines could provide 'regional heat' systems to cover villages and towns

By Ryan Morrison For Mailonline
1 December 2020

Quote
Maps have been created showing dozens of abandoned coal mines across Britain that could be used to provide low-carbon heating for homes and businesses.

A quarter of the UK's population live above abandoned coal mines, which are warmed by natural geothermal processes, the Coal Authority said.

Quote
Where the mines are flooded, the mine water can be used as a sustainable heat source for district heating systems that could replace conventional gas boilers.

The idea behind the new interactive tool is that it could be used by developers, planners and researchers to identify opportunities to use the mine water for heat.

Quote
The Government has set out plans for around one in five buildings to use a largely low carbon district heat network by 2050.

Researchers hope that disused mines could be a source of heat for such projects and the first few are already starting to be used by local councils.

Earlier this year, Gateshead Council secured a £5.9 million grant to double its district heating network, including technology to extract heat from water in mine workings.

And a garden village at Seaham, County Durham, is being developed next to Dawdon mine water treatment scheme, heat from which will be used for the first large scale mine energy district heating scheme in the UK, the Coal Authority said.

Sciguy

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1798 on: December 02, 2020, 07:23:18 PM »
Chinese officials are acknowledging that they have more coal-fired power plants under construction than they will need and that the construction of new coal-fired power plants will be banned in the next five-year plan.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-coal-carbon/chinas-carbon-neutrality-pledge-undermined-by-coal-power-plans-study-idUSKBN27Z36N

Quote
November 19, 2020
China's carbon neutrality pledge undermined by coal power plans: study

By Reuters Staff

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China’s plan to build more coal-fired power “contradicts” its pledge to go carbon neutral by 2060 and risks creating 2 trillion yuan ($303.60 billion) in stranded assets, according to new research published on Friday.

Quote
But China must impose a moratorium on new plants and work to phase out existing ones, with 130 GW already surplus to requirements and “optimal” capacity expected to stand at around 680 GW by 2030, the report said.

Quote
“Given that half of China’s enormous coal capacity is less than 10 years old, and the equivalent of another 100 large plants are already under construction, there is definitely no need for more if the country wants to avoid massive waste of capital,” he added.

Quote
“From the fourteenth five-year plan (2021-2025) we will probably start to restrict and ban the further development of coal and coal-fired power plants,” he said.


gerontocrat

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Re: Coal
« Reply #1799 on: December 02, 2020, 07:29:43 PM »
Chinese officials are acknowledging that they have more coal-fired power plants under construction than they will need and that the construction of new coal-fired power plants will be banned in the next five-year plan.

Quote
“From the fourteenth five-year plan (2021-2025) we will probably start to restrict and ban the further development of coal and coal-fired power plants,” he said.
[/quote]
I think we should wait to see what the 5 year plan actually says.
We should also remember that the Xi Jingping and the Central Party Committee have a patchy record in restraining the actions of lower levels of Government. You can't shoot all the bad boys (and girls).
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)