Australia: Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Shenhua Group are lobbying the New South Wales government to further weaken planning laws to give economic benefits more weight than environmental considerations. The lobbying campaign follows a decision in April by the NSW Land and Environment Court to reject an application by Rio Tinto for the expansion of its Mount Thorley Warkworth mine. Rio Tinto is currently appealing against the decision. (Australian Financial Review – subscription only) Canada: The Tahltan First Nation has stepped up protests over Fortune Minerals’ proposed Arctos metallurgical coal project in northern British Columbia. A 20% joint venture partner in the project is the Canadian subsidiary of POSCO, a major South Korean steel maker. (Globe and Mail) China: Overcapacity is a serious problem in the country’s coal industry, according to analysis by the China National Coal Association, an industry lobby group. The country’s stockpiles currently exceed 200 million tonnes, affecting profitability. Jiang Zhimin, Vice-Chairman of the China National Coal Association, reports that “24 of the 90 large-sized coal enterprises in our survey are operating in a deficit”. (China Radio International’s English Service) Ghana: A 700 megawatt coal-fired power station has been proposed by Sonin Asogli, a subsidiary of the Chinese company Shenzhen Energy Group, at an unspecified location. Criticism of the proposed plant prompted Daniel Amlalo, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana, to insist that “if it is environmentally unfriendly, who goes for it? Nobody goes for it.” (CitiFM Online) India: In a bid to fast-track approval processes, the Cabinet Committee on Investment, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has signalled its support for 28 new power projects. The committee has directed the majority government-owned Coal India to conclude Fuel Supply Agreements for 18 of the projects by early September. (Daily News & Analysis) |