Clean coal can reduce emissions in SEAsia

Clean coal can reduce emissions in SEAsia

Investing in low emissions coal plants in Southeast Asia is one of the most
efficient strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the region, a
new report by the Asean Center for Energy (ACE) and the World Coal
Association (WCA) claimed.

The report, "Asean's Energy Equation--the role of low emission coal in
driving a sustainable energy future," said that the Asean could accelerate
achievement of emissions reduction goals under the Paris Agreement while
still meeting growing electricity demand through the use of critical and
supercritical coal generation plants.

Citing the 4th Asean Energy Outlook, which was published last year, ACE
Executive Director Sanjayan noted, "Asean's energy demand is expected to
grow by 2.7 times in the next two decades, and coal continues to be a major
contributor in our energy mix."

Velautham continued, "With about 100 million people without electricity, the
delivery of affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity is crucial to
Asean's predicted economic growth. That's why we at ACE believe that viable
modern coal technologies are essential in ensuring that coal is used in a
sustainable way that will balance both the economic needs and climate
commitments. Collaborative efforts support ASEAN to make informed decisions
on energy policies."

The report, which is essentially an extended cost-benefit analysis,
concludes that shifting the energy mix from coal across the region away from
subcritical coal plants to newer critical or supercritical technologies
could reduce CO2 emissions between 2.0 billion and 3.3 billion metric tons
over the next 40 years. The report said the reduction would be equivalent to
the combined annual CO2 emissions of the US, EU, and China, the world's
three biggest emitters.

"This action is expected to accelerate the achievement of global climate
objectives without sacrificing economic and social development needs in the
region," the report said.

Chief Executive Benjamin Sporton of the WCA commented in a statement, "It is
important to inject realism into the debate on how to reduce emissions
across Asia. There is no question that cleaner coal is the lowest cost
option among all available low-carbon technologies in Asean--a region that
is rapidly urbanizing and industrializing. Coal is forecast to be an
essential part of Asean's economic growth. This reality means that it is
only logical that the rapidly industrializing and urbanizing economies of
Asia that are choosing to use coal do so with the lowest emissions
technologies."

'No such thing as clean coal'

Environmental group Greenpeace, which has done extensive work to discourage
the use of coal power in any form, took exception to the positioning of coal
as an environmental and economic advantage for countries in Southeast Asia.

Pointing out that it was not surprising that an organization like the WCA
would be support the expansion of coal, climate and energy campaigner Reuben
Muni of Greenpeace Philippines commented, "As we know, the coal industry is
declining in the US and Europe, and regions like Southeast Asia are seen as
a sort of new frontier for business."

"Clean coal doesn't remove pollution, it just moves it to different
streams," Muni said. "There really is no such thing as 'clean' coal--the
costs to public health from coal are well-documented. 'Clean coal' is just
the coal industry's attempt to greenwash their polluting technology."

According to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, the
University of Colorado, and Greenpeace International and published just this
past January, nearly 20,000 excess deaths attributable to coal emissions
occur in Southeast Asia and China each year. If coal power expands according
to present plans, the study concluded, those deaths would increase to more
than 69,000 per year by 2030.

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com