Page 4 - AsiaElec Week 21 2021

AsiaElec COMMENTARY AsiaElec

Coal bandits

NewsBase’s sister publication bneGreen examines coal’s prospects around the world

THE IEA said last week that the road to net zero was still considering a carbon neutrality scenario
P by 2050 “narrow but still achievable,” with a key as a part of its 2050 low-carbon development
requirement no more investment in new coal strategy. The plan is to finish work on the strat-
projects. egy by May 2022.
The agency said that “from today” only no Russian leaders and senior management
new investment in all fossil fuel supply projects, have consistently described natural gas as a cli-
and no further final investment decisions (FIDs) mate-friendly energy source, despite the fact
for new unabated coal plants would enable the that it is largely made up of methane and is not
world to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees carbon-free. According to Aksyutin, natural gas
by 2050. Is it not net-zero by 2050 but limiting is expected to account for nearly 40% of Russia’s
warming by 2100, in line with Paris Agreement? additional electricity production in 2020-2040,
Indeed, the agency warned a total coal phase- compared to 34% from renewables.
out in the power generation sector would be Gazprom’s presentation revealed that com-
needed out by 2040, with an earlier target date of bined gas demand in Europe and China, the
2030 for advanced economies. company’s major supply markets, is forecast to
In terms of coal demand, this net zero target reach nearly 1 trillion cubic meters per year by
would see global coal demand fall by 90% from 2030, up from 865bn cubic meters in 2020.
5.25bn tonnes of coal equivalent in 2020 to 2.5bn
tonnes in 2030 and to less than 600mn tonnes, Europe
an average annual decline of 7% each year from The dirtiest power producers in Europe are
2020 to 2050. Ukraine, Turkey and the Western Balkans who
In other words, coal’s share of total energy continue to make extensive use of coal-fuelled
supply would have to fall from 26% today to 4% power stations to produce the electricity they
by 2050, of which 1% would be unabated coal need as it remains the cheapest option for these
and 3% would be coal with carbon capture and poor countries.
underground storage (CCUS). At the same time, EU countries like Ger-
Put simply, any new investment in coal would many and Poland are also among the worst for
be a major risk as demand is set to plummet in NOx emissions, a GHG that is as bad as CO2
order to meet the 2050 net zero targets. emissions, according to the Ember Analytical
Meanwhile, global investment in fossil fuel Centre.
supply should fall from $575bn on average over “When coal is burned for generating elec-
the past five years to $110bn in 2050. Upstream tricity, pollutants are released into the air which
fossil fuel investment should be restricted to pose a threat to human health, and are responsi-
maintaining production at existing oil and nat- ble for high numbers of premature deaths. With
ural gas fields. pollutants sometimes travelling thousands of
kilometres, air pollution from coal power is a
Tussle between HC and renewables problem for the whole of Europe no matter the
Body no indent. The existing energy lobby is not source,” a recent report by the Ember Analytical
happy about giving up their crown when there Centre says.
is still so much hydrocarbon still in the ground. Burning coal produces several dangerous
Others like Russia are ramping up production gases in addition to the global-warming CO2.
of things like coal to be able to cash in on their
mineral wealth while there are still buyers. Iron- Turkey
ically Russia is planning to significantly increase Turkey was responsible for 33% of annual SO2
its coal production in the next few years because emissions originating from the energy sector
in 20 years time there will be no buyers left, the among OECD countries in 2018, placing Tur-
government said. key on the top of the list. It is likely this is due to
Likewise, Russia’s Gazprom is also investing many coal power plants in Turkey still lacking
heavily in production and forecasts, gas demand proper flue gas desulphurization (FGD) systems.
will grow, contrary to a world trend for an energy The old lignite plants commissioned without any
transition from fossil fuels to the employment desulphurization continued to run until the end
of environment-friendly renewable sources of of 2019 without any challenge.
energy. In Turkey it is difficult to determine which
Gazprom Deputy Chief Executive Oleg coal power plants comply with the emission
Aksyutin told a web-briefing that the corporate standards. Turkish government does not

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 21 26•May•2021