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OilPrice.com | Energy | Coal Analysis of global coal markets, coal mining and production and consumption of coal. Coal to liquids and other technologies are covered. http://oilprice.com/ Thu, 24 May 2012 21:52:14 GMT Oilprice.com (info@oilprice.com) China to Invest in Coal Gasification - with GEs help http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/China-to-Invest-in-Coal-Gasification-with-GEs-help.html First, the bad news for China’s economic miracle.According to a quarterly report issued last month by China’s China Electricity Council (CEC), some parts of China will experience severe blackouts this summer as the result of an electricity shortage of 30-40 million kilowatt hours. The CEC warned, "The shortage will hit about 30 million kilowatt hours during summer peak days and may expand to 40 million kilowatt hours if heat waves persist," with China's more developed eastern and southern regions bearing the brunt of the shortages.…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Fri, 18 May 2012 23:57:04 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/China-to-Invest-in-Coal-Gasification-with-GEs-help.html Nuclear Plants in Germany Sit Idle as Coal use Grows by 13.5% http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Nuclear-Plants-in-Germany-Sit-Idle-as-Coal-use-Grows-by-13.5.html Coal use will rise an estimated 13.5 percent in Germany this year, resulting in at least 14 million metric tons of additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, even as the nation continues to idle two-fifths of its nuclear power fleet.The major reduction in European energy demand and industrial output caused by the global recession has led CO2 emissions to slide faster than the emissions reductions mandated by either the Emissions Trading Scheme or the EU's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Yet instead of accelerating emissions cuts, the ironic…

]]> breakthrough@oilprice.com (Breakthrough Institute) Tue, 15 May 2012 23:13:52 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Nuclear-Plants-in-Germany-Sit-Idle-as-Coal-use-Grows-by-13.5.html India's Traditional Power Sources on Razor Edge of Supply http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Indias-Traditional-Power-Sources-on-Razor-Edge-of-Supply.html The biggest economic story of the 21st century has been the dramatic emergence in the last decade of the “BRICs” – Brazil, Russia, India and China.Their dramatic emergence onto the world’s global economic stage has produced a middle class in all BRIC countries, whose growing clout wants reliable 24/7 power. The Russian Federation is awash in oil and natural gas, Brazil after the 1973 oil embargo developed ethanol alternatives and last year became an oil exporter, which leave energy and resource-starved China and India scrabbling…

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]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Wed, 02 May 2012 23:01:52 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Indias-Traditional-Power-Sources-on-Razor-Edge-of-Supply.html EPA Proposals: End of Coal or Dawn of New Energy? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/EPA-proposals-End-of-Coal-or-Dawn-of-New-Energy.html The Environmental Protection Agency this week proposed measures that it said would cut emissions for new power plants. Critics are lining up to say this marks the end of coal-fired power generation in the United States and in some ways they may be right. Despite the fervor over things like the Keystone XL oil pipeline and the fracking of natural gas, coal still dominates the energy sector and has been since at least the 1960s. While critics of the EPA's proposals may have a point, is that necessarily a bad thing? The Supreme Court in 2007…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:56:32 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/EPA-proposals-End-of-Coal-or-Dawn-of-New-Energy.html An Eulogy for the Industrial Revolution's Power Source http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/An-Eulogy-for-the-Industrial-Revolutions-Power-Source.html The capitalist world has little time for nostalgia, as its primary mission is making money, but a recent pronouncement out of Britain is sounding the incipient death knell for a power source that fuelled Britain’s Industrial Revolution, and, by extension, the modern capitalist world. INING group UK Coal is currently in discussions to shutter Britain’s biggest remaining coal mining pit. Nothing personal - INING group UK Coal wants to restructure its business. The potential cost, for those on the coal face is hundreds of jobs. The balance…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:59:55 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/An-Eulogy-for-the-Industrial-Revolutions-Power-Source.html Can China Kick Their Coal Addiction? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Can-China-Kick-Their-Coal-Addiction.html World coal production and consumption data for 2011 are not yet compiled and published, but one key number is in. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reports that the country’s coal output rose 8.7 percent from 2010 to reach 3.88 billion short tons last year. For comparison, US consumption in 2010 was just over 1 billion tons—and holding steady (mostly due to cheap natural gas prices). If the current trend continues, China will burn well over 4 billion tons of coal in 2012, four times as much as the US. Asia-Pacific…

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]]> postcarbon@oilprice.com (Post Carbon) Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:24:11 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Can-China-Kick-Their-Coal-Addiction.html Green Australia Still Experiencing Massive Coal Boom http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Green-Australia-Still-Experiencing-Massive-Coal-Boom.html Australia, despite being deeply committed to curbing greenhouse gas emissions GGEs, is nonetheless experiencing a fossil fuel surge. The growth comes despite a carbon tax, due to be implemented later this year, which is deeply unpopular with the country’s mining industry. According to the government agency Geoscience Australia, in fiscal year 2011 coal exploration spending in Australia surged by 62 percent, with investment in exploration for new coal deposits reaching $520 million, with spending on exploration surging faster than any…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:23:09 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Green-Australia-Still-Experiencing-Massive-Coal-Boom.html Enter the Dragon - China to Increase Energy Investment in Pakistan http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Enter-the-Dragon-China-to-Increase-Energy-Investment-in-Pakistan.html The current administration of Pakistani President Asif Zadari is beset by multiple problems. Relations with its ally in the “global war on terror,” the U.S. have plummeted to their lowest ever level. But for the average Pakistani, of more immediate concern is the country’s ongoing energy crisis. The nation’s problem is summed up by the following figures. Pakistan’s current electricity demand is about 25,000 megawatts per day but national current electrical production is less than 20,000 megawatts per…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Thu, 26 Jan 2012 0:06:16 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Enter-the-Dragon-China-to-Increase-Energy-Investment-in-Pakistan.html Australia's Ongoing Coal Boom Could Provide a Safe Haven for Investors http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Australias-Ongoing-Coal-Boom-Could-Provide-A-Safe-Haven-For-Investors.html Investors spooked by three years of global recession have nervously scanned the globe for failsafe, sure-fire places to park their surplus capital. The rise of the non-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries is fundamentally altering the world's energy markets, which underwent a historic shift in 2007 when non-OECD demand surpassed that of OECD. Demand growth outside traditional OECD markets is now the driver in the world's energy, with fossil fuels continuing to account for 88 percent of global energy demand and for over…

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]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 17 Jan 2012 3:41:00 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Australias-Ongoing-Coal-Boom-Could-Provide-A-Safe-Haven-For-Investors.html India’s Coal Shortages to Worsen as Coal India Reduces Production Target http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Indias-Coal-Shortages-To-Worsen-As-Coal-India-Reduces-Production-Target.html State-controlled Coal India Limited (CIL) announced that it has lowered its production target for the fiscal year to 440 million metric tons, down from the 452 million tons initially outlined in the company’s annual plan, according to an Economic Times article. Indian news agency PTI has quoted CIL Chairman N.C. Jha as confirming that they have kept the production target of at least 440 million tons. While speaking to media on the sidelines of the International Conference of Safety in Mines Research Institutes in New Delhi, the chairman cited…

]]> agmetal@oilprice.com (Ag Metal Miner) Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:30:36 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Indias-Coal-Shortages-To-Worsen-As-Coal-India-Reduces-Production-Target.html South Africa's Effort to Wean Itself Off Coal Dependency Proving Difficult http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/South-Africas-Effort-To-Wean-Itself-Off-Coal-Dependency-Proving-Difficult.html Coal is one of the fossil fuels most responsible for generating greenhouse gases. The effect of such emissions on the atmosphere and the consequences for long-term global warming are a major topic at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting currently underway in Durban, South Africa. Dampening the expectations of South African environmentalists, on 1 December South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters told journalists that Pretoria could not ignore the fact that South Africa is a coal-rich economy, "nor can we…

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]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:59:50 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/South-Africas-Effort-To-Wean-Itself-Off-Coal-Dependency-Proving-Difficult.html Are Coal Power Plants Now too Expensive to Pursue? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Are-Coal-Power-Plants-Now-Too-Expensive-To-Pursue.html A couple years ago I had lunch with a top executive of one of the state’s leading utilities. Here’s the gist of the question I put to him. “I know you guys want to build a new coal plant nearby here, and I believe you when you say you fully intend to sequester CO2 down the road. But here’s the problem. You can’t even begin building without first raising the price of electricity. We can argue how much – 15, 20, 30 percent – but we all know it’s going to go up.” He nodded. “Well, I’m…

]]> sinclairp@oilprice.com (Peter Sinclair) Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:27:52 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Are-Coal-Power-Plants-Now-Too-Expensive-To-Pursue.html Where Can we Expect Coal Prices to go From Here? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Where-Can-We-Expect-Coal-Prices-To-Go-From-Here.html While most commodities have suffered something of a roller-coaster ride in terms of prices, coal and iron ore have weathered the storm much better. Coal in particular has benefited from natural disasters such as the Queensland floods that removed a significant source of supply from the seaborne supply market earlier this year, and while spot prices for both coking coal and thermal coal have come off, they have not seen the swings of the more volatile base metals. As with iron ore, however, coal demand is very lopsided. In Asia, demand has remained…

]]> Burnss@oilprice.com (Stuart Burns) Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:36:57 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Where-Can-We-Expect-Coal-Prices-To-Go-From-Here.html The Price Tag for Clean Coal http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/The-Price-Tag-For-Clean-Coal.html I wanted to get the low down on clean coal to see how clean it really is, so I visited some friends at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The modern day descendent of the Atomic Energy Commission, where I had a student job in the seventies, the leading researcher on laser induced nuclear fission, and the administrator of our atomic weapons stockpile, I figured they’d know. Dirty coal currently supplies us with 50% of our electricity, and total electricity demand is expected to go up 30% by 2030. The industry is spewing out 32 billion…

]]> (Mad Hedge Fund Trader) Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:13:42 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/The-Price-Tag-For-Clean-Coal.html Rio Tinto Looking to Satisfy India’s Growing Hunger for Coal http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Rio-Tinto-Looking-To-Satisfy-Indias-Growing-Hunger-For-Coal.html The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is aiming to provide a coal supply line to the rapidly growing Indian thermal coal market. Indian business daily Business Line, in its report dispatched from Perth, quoted Nik Senapati, Rio Tinto India’s managing director, as saying that his company wants to supply coal to India because India’s coal imports are projected to touch about 200 million tons over next few years. Last year, Rio Tinto supplied three million tons of coking coal to Indian steel companies such as JSW Steel and Tata Steel.…

]]> agmetal@oilprice.com (Ag Metal Miner) Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:43:38 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Rio-Tinto-Looking-To-Satisfy-Indias-Growing-Hunger-For-Coal.html Canada's Environment Ministry Getting Tough with Coal Industry http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Canadas-Environment-Ministry-Getting-Tough-With-Coal-Industry.html Canada’s environment ministry has proposed tougher regulations for coal-fired power plants, but they do not go far enough to help the country achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, according to an environmental NGO. The rules proposed last week by Environment Canada apply a performance standard to coal-fired units that are either new or have reached the end of their economic life. The standard, which will affect 20 power plants, will require the power stations to achieve parity with the emissions performance of high-efficiency…

]]> ruyi@oilprice.com (Gloria Gonzalez) Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:40:31 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Canadas-Environment-Ministry-Getting-Tough-With-Coal-Industry.html The Importance of Coal to India's Economy http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/The-Importance-Of-Coal-To-Indias-Economy.html India’s coal reserves have been assessed at about 286 billion tons this year, about 3.25 percent higher than the previous year’s 276.8 billion tons, according to a published report. Citing the National Inventory on Indian Coal Resources published by the Geological Survey of India, the Indian newspaper Business Line reported that of this, the Geological Survey estimates proven reserves to be 114 billion tons, or 40 percent of the total reserves. The latest proven reserves represent a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year’s…

]]> agmetal@oilprice.com (Ag Metal Miner) Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:31:45 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/The-Importance-Of-Coal-To-Indias-Economy.html Clean Coal and Underground Coal Gasification http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Clean-Coal-And-Underground-Coal-Gasification.html The reserve limits for coal, for China as well as the rest of the world, can be postponed for several generations if the technology to gasify coal underground can be commercialized. Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) enables the access of deeper coal layers hitherto unavailable through conventional mining. Several modern pilot projects have been successfully completed in recent years and commercial projects are underway. _Rembrandt The writer known as "Rembrandt" provided a very useful article on underground coal gasification at the Oil Drum blog.…

]]> thyu@oilprice.com (Al Fin) Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:37:36 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Clean-Coal-And-Underground-Coal-Gasification.html Why Coal Prices Will Soar in the Coming Years http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Why-Coal-Prices-Will-Soar-In-The-Coming-Years.html World energy policy is gripped by a fallacy — the idea that coal is destined to stay cheap for decades to come. This assumption supports investment in ‘clean-coal’ technology and trumps serious efforts to increase energy conservation and develop alternative energy sources. It is an important enough assumption about our energy future that it demands closer examination. There are two reasons to believe that coal prices are likely to soar in the years ahead. First, a spate of recent studies suggests that available, useful coal may…

]]> postcarbon@oilprice.com (Post Carbon) Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:18:19 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Why-Coal-Prices-Will-Soar-In-The-Coming-Years.html Is Coal Actually Saving us from Global Warming? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Is-Coal-Actually-Saving-Us-From-Global-Warming.html In a contradiction that scientists, skeptics, businesses, governments and the media never saw coming, coal emissions may actually be both contributing to global warming and reducing it. While this may seem like an oxymoron, it turns out that while excess carbon dioxide from coal emissions creates a warming effect in our atmosphere, the sulfur emitted by coal actually cools the atmosphere. While scientists have argued that carbon dioxide emissions will lead to a warming trend, the facts and figures aren’t holding true to their predictions. …

]]> energydigital@oilprice.com (Energy Digital) Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:57:19 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Coal/Is-Coal-Actually-Saving-Us-From-Global-Warming.html