Who saved Alberta’s mountaintops and precious, clean water? Albertans
The Grassy Mountain coal mine project is dead, but only because of a grassroots rebellion by the people of Alberta, writes Andrew Nikiforuk in The Tyee.
A just and equitable transition is needed to honour the sacrifices made by Navajo and Hopi
The Navajo and Hopi Nations should benefit from Arizona’s shift to clean energy after decades of exploitation of their water and air for coal mining and power, writes Nicole Horseherder, a founder of the Dine non-profit group To Nizhoni Ani, in Arizona Mirror.
Hundreds of planned coal mines ‘incompatible with 1.5°C target’
Proposals to build hundreds of new coal mines could raise global output of the fossil fuel by 30%, putting the world’s climate goals and up to US$91 billion of investment at risk, writes Ryan Driskell Tate from Global Energy Monitor in Carbon Brief.
|
US utility announce three coal plant closures
NRG Energy has announced the closure in June 2022 of three coal plants – the 682 MW Waukegan plant and 510 MW Will County plants in Illinois and the 410 MW Indian River plant in Delaware – after failing to win contracts in a capacity auction for the PJM Interconnection, a regional market covering which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia. In a briefing to investors this week NRG stated that it is evaluating the viability of its remaining coal units in the PJM Interconnection market. NRG Energy told investors in a June 3 presentation it had cleared only 2417 MW of capacity with projected revenue of US$171 million in 2021–22, down from US$299 million in the current year. (Power Magazine, NRG Energy)
Finnish coal plant to close early; another may follow
The utility owned by the Helsinki municipality, Helen Oy, has announced it will bring forward the closure of the 228 MW Hansaari coal plant to April 1, 2023. The plant was previously planned to close by the end of 2024. The plant, which provides both electricity and district heating, will be replaced by a biomass plant, heat pumps and energy storage. The Hansaari plant accounts for about 45 per cent of Helsinki’s greenhouse gas emissions and is becoming less viable due to the rapid increase in the European Union carbon price. The Managing Director of Helen, Juha-Pekka Weckstrom, said the 160 MW Salmisaari coal power plant is also likely to be closed before the legislated May 2029 end date for coal power comes into effect. (PledgeTimes)
Canadian mine rejected over selenium emissions concerns
A joint review by the Alberta Energy Regulator and Canadian Government has rejected Benga Mining’s application for the proposed Grassy Mountain metallurgical coal mine on the grounds that the impacts on Indigenous rights and the environment outweighed the economic benefits. The reviewers, sitting as a panel for the Alberta Energy Regulator, concluded the project “is not in the public interest” and denied the provincial permits the project required. The review also found the project would have “significant adverse effects” on the physical and cultural heritage of three First Nations groups. The 680-page assessment report rejected as “overly optimistic” Benga Mining’s claims it would be able to capture 98 per cent of selenium emissions from its waste rock dumps. It also noted Benga’s water quality modelling assumed a metals treatment plant would be built but the company had not committed to building it, proposing instead to rely on adopting measures in response to monitoring results. Benga Mining is a subsidiary the Australian-based Riversdale Resources, a company owned by Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart. (CBC, Alberta Energy Regualtor (Pdf), Government of Canada)
|
Canada to require federal assessment of all coal mines: Federal Environment Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, has announced Canada will require an environmental review and assessment of all coal projects, including expansions of existing mines that could release selenium into waterways. Wilkinson said the government is also preparing new regulations on coal mine effluent which will be finalised later this year. Previously the central government policy was to initiate reviews only for coal projects over specified thresholds or where they impacted central government responsibilities such as First Nations rights, fisheries or threatened species. The announcement came eight days after New Democratic Party MP, Heather McPherson, tabled a Private Members Bill to amend the federal Impact Assessment Act to require coal mines to be assessed. (CBC, Heather Macpherson)
Indian agency’s push to promote coal ash dumping: The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is seeking to modify the provisions of India’s environmental legislation to allow the disposal of coal ash from power plants as a “conditioner” on agricultural land, for filling unspecified “low lying” land and for export. The Central Electricity Authority estimates Indian coal power sector produced 226 million tonnes of coal ash in 2019, almost three times the total municipal solid waste in the country, with about 1.6 billion tonnes accumulated in ash ponds. Environmental lawyers from the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment argue the vague terms of the draft changes would allow the dumping of fly ash across India’s landscape. (The Wire)
Anglo American joins challenge against Colombian court ruling on river diversion: Anglo American has joined BHP and Glencore in launching lawsuits seeking to overturn a ruling by Colombia's constitutional court that suspended the development of the northern section of the La Puente pit at the Cerrejon mine. The three companies are joint venture partners in the mine. In November 2017 the court ordered Cerrejon to suspend the development of the pit due to concerns that the diversion of Bruno Stream would cause irreparable damage to the aquifer in a water-scarce region. The mining companies’ challenges have been have filed with the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. (Argus, London Mining Network)
US Energy Secretary courts senator’s support on key energy and jobs bill: The refusal of US negotiators to set a specific end date for coal power in the recent G7 communique has been attributed to wariness of alienating conservative West Virginia Senator, Joe Manchin. Last week, Manchin criticised Biden’s target to shift away from coal power in an interview at the Edison Electric Institute’s conference with Nick Akins, the CEO of American Electric Power (AEP). AEP is one of the companies at the heart of the $61 million Ohio coal and nuclear utilities bailout scandal. US Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, says Manchin, who holds a decision vote in an evenly split Senate, is seeking support for West Virginia’s coal communities in Biden’s American Jobs Plan, which has been promoted as playing a central role in transforming the energy sector. However, Republicans oppose the bulk of Biden’s plan and especially the climate-policy-related elements. (Heated, Politico, RollingStone)
Utilities oppose Ohio subsidy being stripped from two coal plants: The owners of Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) have testified against a move by the Ohio Senate to strip US$700 million in subsidies from HB6, legislation that is at the centre of the long-running bailout scandal. American Electric Power, Buckeye Power and Duke Energy are the largest shareholders in OVEC which owns two coal plants, one in Indiana and the other in Ohio. The plants are subsidised US$1.50 per month by residential customers and up to US$1500 per month by industrial customers. At the time HB6 was adopted in 2019 it was claimed the subsidy was necessary to keep the plant operating. Under questioning, OVEC executive Justin Cooper agreed the plants would not close if the subsidy was repealed. (TiffinOhio)
Doubts over Adani’s PVC plant based on imported coal: Critics have raised doubts over the proposal by Adani Enterprises to build a US$4 billion “coal to PVC project” at its Mundra coal port site in Gujarat. In a submission to Indian regulators, Adani stated the project will consume 3.1 million tonnes of coal imported “mainly from Australia, Russia and other countries”. Simon Nicholas, from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said proposing a project based on expensive imported coal made it look the PVC plant was being proposed to “prop up their Carmichael mine.” (Guardian, Adani Enterprises [Pdf])
|
Australia: Whitehaven Coal Chairman, Mark Vaile, has declined to take up the role as Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, two weeks after his appointment provoked a public backlash.
Australia: NSW government flags opening 33,000 hectares for coal exploration; a study for Lock the Gate has found 45 Aboriginal heritage sites within the area.
Australia: Senate rejects government plan to force the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to invest in carbon capture and storage projects.
India: Public hearings to be held on the proposed Kente Extension coal block in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand forest.
Japan: Mitsui sells its 45 per cent stake in Indonesian coal plant operator PT Paiton Energy to a subsidiary of the Thai company Ratch.
South Africa: Kibo Energy abandons plans to develop coal plants in Tanzania, Botswana and Mozambique and is seeking to sell its interest in the projects.
South Africa: European satellite detected Africa’s worst methane plume this year near Sasol and Anglo American’s coal mines.
South Korea: Power price freeze for next quarter hits utility KEPCO’s stock price as coal prices rise.
US: Lawsuit launched to challenge the operation of the Mays No. 5 Mine on the Black Warrior River mine in Alabama.
US: Despite over 1000 Warrior Met Coal workers being on strike since April, Fox News has not mentioned the issue.
Vietnam: Growing concern [Vietnamese] about pollution from about 25 million tonnes of coal ash and slag a year from power plants in Quang Ninh province.
|
Falling cost of renewables undercuts new and existing coal generation: A global review by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) of the costs of renewable energy in 2020 has found the cost of onshore wind generation fell by 13 per cent, offshore wind by 9 per cent and solar PV by 7 per cent compared to 2019. IRENA estimates 800,000 MW of existing coal plants generate power that is more expensive than electricity from new solar or onshore wind projects commissioned in 2021. The report estimates 141,000 MW of installed coal capacity in India is now more expensive than new renewable capacity. It estimates 149,000 MW or 61 per cent of coal capacity in the US is more expensive than new renewables. In Germany, which is currently under pressure to bring its coal exit date forward from the legislated end date of 2038, IRENA estimates no coal generation is cheaper than new renewables. (International Renewable Energy Agency)
Major South Korean insurance companies back away from coal sector: Four major South Korean insurance companies – DB Insurance, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, Hanwha General Insurance, and Hana Insurance – have ruled out providing further insurance for the construction or operation of coal power plants. The companies were responding to a request by the Korea Beyond Coal coalition for Korea’s top 11 insurance companies to end their underwriting of coal and rule out support for the 2100 MW Samcheok Blue Power which is currently under construction. The four companies account for about half of the US$52 billion in coal underwritings by Korean insurance companies. DB Insurance, Korea’s second-largest coal insurer, added that it would also phase out existing insurance coverage for operating coal plants. (Solutions for Our Climate)
Pressure on insurance industry to drop coal from ‘treaty’ reinsurance: Major insurance companies are under pressure to exit from providing indirect support for coal projects through ‘treaty’ reinsurance. Treaty reinsurance is when policies sold by insurers are bundled and resold to reinsurers as a bulk buy to help spread the financial risk. For reinsurers, treaty insurance is estimated to account for about half of the US$500 billion market. Paul Merrey from KPMG said if reinsurers exclude coal projects from the bundled policies, insurance will be harder to obtain, become more expensive, have significant caveats attached to it or may not be available at all. Swiss Re has committed to exiting thermal coal in its treaty business by 2040 but has not disclosed the current thresholds it has adopted. (Reuters)
Japan ponders loopholes for coal lending policy: Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is reportedly considering loopholes to allow new coal projects to continue to qualify for lending support beyond the end of the year. On June 17 Japan said it would not support new overseas coal plants without emissions reduction technologies. At the recent G7 meeting Japan agreed to end international coal lending after 2021. Japan has previously promoted new slightly higher-efficiency technology plants that use less coal. Domestically it is also pursuing the use of co-firing coal plants with biomass and ammonia. (Argus)
India’s largest coal utility unveils plan for huge expansion of renewables: NTPC, which supplies electricity to about one-quarter of India, plans to double its 2032 renewables target from 32,000 MW of capacity to 60,000 MW. The government-owned utility currently has 1350 MW of operational renewables capacity. The utility is pursuing a more aggressive target as lower-cost loans are available for renewables and will allow it to diversify its revenue streams away from its current reliance on sales of coal power. For the second year in a row NTPC said it is not planning to order further cargoes of imported thermal coal. NTPC said it is currently considering what the expanded renewables target will mean for its current coal expansion plans. The utility currently has about 12,000 MW of new coal capacity under construction and a further 6000 MW in the process of seeking permits. (Livemint, Financial Express, Argus, BNNBloomberg)
Swedish project produces its first batch of fossil-fuel-free iron: A pilot plant in Lulea, Sweden has produced about 100 tonnes of sponge iron from fossil-fuel-free hydrogen as the first step in ‘green steel’ production. The HYBRIT project was first launched in 2016 as a joint venture between the Swedish iron ore company LKAB, Swedish steel producer SSAB and European energy utility Vattenfall. The aim is for the current pilot plant to pave the way for a demonstration plant, with commercial steel production to begin by 2026. The hydrogen-based pilot plant produced iron ore pellets and then sponge iron from hydrogen to bypass reliance on coal and coke. (S & P Global, Hybrit)
Report finds Vanguard is a climate and investment laggard: A report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has found a major fund managed by the Vanguard Group has underperformed by about 5.6 per cent compared to a fossil-fuel-free benchmark. The Vanguard Group, which is the world’s second-largest asset manager, has an estimated US$90 billion invested in thermal coal but currently has no coal exit policy. Vanguard holds an investment of almost 10 per cent in every stock-exchange-listed US company. IEEFA also notes that while Blackrock and State Street have been gradually improving their approach to engagement and voting on climate resolutions, Vanguard has overwhelmingly voted for the positions favoured by company management and opposed climate resolutions. (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
|
Coal Mining in the Oldman River Watershed, Livingstone Landowners Group, June 2021. (Very large Pdf file.) The media release on the report is here.
This 176-page study by an environmental consulting company concludes new coal mines on the Eastern Slopes in Alberta would have an irreversible impact on the Oldman River watershed.
Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020, International Renewable Energy Agency, June 2021. (Pdf)
This 180-page report estimates the costs of new renewable power generation based on reviewing the costs of 20,000 projects and data from 13,000 auctions and power purchase agreements for renewables.
|
|
