editor’s note

Bob Burton
CoalWire Editor

features

Clearing up the confusion over China and coal

Despite a deluge of conflicting claims in the media about what is or isn’t happening with coal in China, the statistics tell a clear story of coal’s decline, writes Lauri Myllyvirta from Greenpeace International.

Tweet: Clearing up the confusion over #China and #coal http://bit.ly/1SY9dCx  @laurimyllyvirta  @energydesk

Fact-checking the claim that Australian coal is ‘clean’

The claim promoted by the coal industry and its supporters that Australian coal is cleaner than that supplied by its competitors doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, writes Tim Buckley from the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis.

Tweet: The claim that Australian #coal is clean doesn’t stand up to scrutiny http://bit.ly/1IhjjJc @ieefa_institute

We need to talk about coal

Hyping the construction of ‘high efficiency’ coal plants as a solution to climate change is about as logical as a drunk trying to sober up by drinking light beer, writes Richard Denniss from the Australia Institute.

Tweet: Building ‘high efficiency’ #coal power stations can no more reduce emissions than drinking light beer sobers you up http://bit.ly/1N4G2h2

campaigns

South African company backtracks on mine near wildlife reserve

A campaign by residents and environmentalists against a proposed mine next to Imfolozi game reserve, South Africa’s oldest wildlife reserve, has forced Ibutho Coal to suspend the environmental assessment process while it reconsiders its options. During the public consultation it was revealed that several hundred people from Ocilwane and Ntuthunga villages would be forced to move. The company’s decision has been welcomed as “a significant victory” by Kirsten Youens, an environmental attorney for the Global Environmental Trust. “It means there will be a long delay,” she said. (IOL)

Suggested Tweet: Community campaign forces #coal co. to retreat over mine near #Imfolozi http://bit.ly/1YtzZq5 #SouthAfrica

Alberta announces phase-out of over 6000 megawatts of coal

The new provincial government of Alberta has announced coal-fired generation will be phased out by 2030 with two-thirds of the shuttered capacity replaced by renewables and wind in particular. The policy will have a knock-on effect on Canada’s national policy as Alberta currently generates more electricity from coal than all the other provinces combined. Just over half of the province’s current electricity is generated from 18 coal units which have an installed capacity of 6258 megawatts (MW). The policy will cut demand for coal by about 30 million tonnes a year, representing approximately 90 per cent of the province’s production. (Government of Alberta, Pembina Institute)

top news

Study of coal trains reveals dust plume: A two-month-long study in 2014 of freight trains passing through the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State found “diesel powered open-top coal trains result in nearly twice as much respirable PM2.5 compared to the passage of diesel-powered freight trains.” The study, which has been published inAtmospheric Pollution Research, noted that video footage revealed “large plumes of coal dust” from four of the uncovered 74 coal trains included in the study. (Portland Tribune, Atmospheric Pollution Research)

Australian court upholds elderly farmer’s right to block mine: The New South Wales Court of Appeal has upheld the right of 82 year-old farmer Wendy Bowman to refuse to sell her property to Yancoal for the expansion of the Ashton south east mine in the Hunter Valley. Yancoal had appealed against a 2014 NSW Land and Environment Court decision to approve the mine but on condition that it could only proceed if the company reached an agreement with Mrs Bowman on the use of her land. (Singleton Argus, ABC)

Death toll to mount if Thailand pursues coal: Coal plants in Thailand cause an estimated 1550 premature deaths per year according to research by Harvard University and Greenpeace Southeast Asia. They estimate the number of premature deaths could climb to 5300 a year if the coal-fired projects which have been announced are built. In the Power Development Plan 2015 the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and the Energy Ministry propose an additional 7400 MW of coal power plants be built by 2036. (The Nation, Greenpeace Southeast Asia)

Japan ponders new coal assessment:Japan’s Minister for the Environment is considering removing the current exemption from environmental assessment for proposed coal plants of less than 112.5 MW capacity. The review follows revelations from environmental group Kiko Network earlier this year that about a third of the proposed 45 coal-fired units were exempt from environmental assessment. The European Union’s Climate Commissioner, Miguel Arias Canete, has also warned Japan against supporting new coal plants overseas as this “could lock countries into unsustainable technology.” (Bloomberg, Japan Times)

“I challenge any of these leaders [promoting coal] to say ‘Yes we know what is going to happen to Kiribati, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t care, because otherwise we would lose the next election’. They use the excuse of the poor. But we are the poor and we are speaking on our own behalf and we will be affected,”

said President of the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, Anote Tong.

news

Australia: NSW Government abandonsCobbora coal mine plan; opts to sell land for farms.

India: Madras High Court stays Tamil Nadu order directing Greenpeace India to disband.

Kenya: Community leader wants Fenxi Mining’s Mui coal contract cancelled over broken promises.

Netherlands: Sixty-four professors call on government to shut all 11 coal plants.

companies + markets

Glencore most carbon-exposed coal company: A new report by CDP – formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project – ranked Glencore as the worst coal company ‘across the board’ and a “clear laggard on carbon regulation readiness.” The rankings were based on assessments of energy efficiency, water resilience, coal exposure, carbon-cost exposure and carbon-regulation readiness. (Bloomberg, CDP)

SaskPower unveils renewables target: Stung by the ongoing controversy over the failings of the Boundary Dam Carbon Capture and Storage plant, the publicly-owned utility SaskPower has unveiled a renewables target of 50 per cent by 2030. The target would represent a doubling of renewables capacity with wind power likely to be the largest contributor. While SaskPower states it will “continue to explore” CCS for the other two aging units at the Boundary Dam Power station, wind power will be far cheaper. (SaskPower, SaskWind)