Coal is all about energy security, say experts
CSEs global conference on coal kicks off
STAFF REPORTER
The issue of coal is really an issue of energy security. India has reserves of coal which it needs to tap to provide energy to its people and to propel its development agenda. At the same time, it is committed to using this coal cleanly and sustainably, said Piyush Goyal, the Indian minister for power, coal and new and renewable energy, addressing the opening session of a three-day international conference on coal-based power, which began in New Delhi yesterday.
The conference Coal-based Power: Confronting the Environmental Challenges -- which has participants from China, Indonesia, Germany, South Africa, UK and India, has been organised by the New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy body, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), says a press release.
The coal-based power sector is in the midst of a major transition across the world. Since it will remain central to energy requirements in the foreseeable future, its significant environmental impacts need to be urgently addressed. CSE says this conference aims to do that by opening
up the debate on the future of coal and coal-
based energy.
Speaking at the same session, CSE director general Sunita Narain said for nations like India which were struggling with acute energy poverty, coal is a necessity. While these nations must move eventually towards a new, cleaner renewable-based energy future, coal-based power but one which was as clean as possible is needed in the interim to alleviate the energy poverty.
Echoing the ministers and Narains sentiments, Ashok Lavasa, secretary, Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, said: This is not a case for coal, but one for meeting the power demands of the people of this country. What we need to do is use the best technology available for sourcing energy from coal, so that the adverse consequences on environment are significantly reduced.
Global energy demand is rising consistently. According to CSE deputy director general Chandra Bhushan, in the period 2011-2035, global energy demand has shown a one-third increase, with India experiencing a 3 per cent annual growth in demand. And in this scenario, coal will remain one of the key drivers. In the global energy mix, coal in 2012 occupied a 29 per cent stake; in 2040, its stake is expected to hover around 24 per cent.
The environmental impacts of the sector are huge. According to the International Energy Agency, the coal-based power sector accounts for about 330 billion cubic meters of the total water drawn globally. In India, 65 per cent of all freshwater withdrawal by industry is accounted for by this sector. In terms of air pollution, coal-fired power plants contribute approximately 60 per cent of particulate emissions, over 80 per cent of mercury emissions, 45-50 per cent of sulphur dioxide emissions and 30 per cent of nitrogen oxide emissions.
Says Bhushan: The Indian government has recently passed new environmental regulations substantially tightening the emissions standards and reducing water consumption. Implementing these new policies will be challenging given the large investment needs. The conference will aim at identifying potential solutions to comply with the new regulatory framework, and ways to improve the performance of the sector by drawing from experiences from other countries.
