Deswik will include the new mobile 3D scanning tools in its upcoming software release, version 2016.2. With the International Congress for Mine Surveying (ISM 2016) taking place next month in Brisbane from 13 to 16 September), Deswik will use this event as a platform to officially launch and showcase this exciting new functionality to the mine surveying industry.
3D mobile scanning has been gaining popularity in recent years as a rapid and effective solution for a variety of underground survey applications. Deswik has partnered with Peck Tech Consulting Ltd whose offerings include the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ solution. This product was purpose-designed and built for the underground environment and can generate 3D point clouds from virtually any moving platform- a mine vehicle, LHD (Load, Haul, Dump machine), All-Terrain Vehicle or even a remotely-operated robotic vehicle.
A uGPS Rapid Mapper™ unit has been deployed at the Goldcorp Hoyle Pond mine site near Timmins, Ontario since May 2016. Surveyors on site have been processing its 3D scan data in the Deswik software. Their feedback on these processes has proven invaluable in developing a streamlined, integrated workflow in the upcoming Deswik version 2016.2.
The integration of uGPS data within the Deswik software suite is focused around turning data into information quickly, simply and effectively. The uGPS Rapid Mapper™ is used to rapidly collect 3D point cloud data in the field and can be imported, meshed and ready for analysis in Deswik with a few clicks of the mouse. The new suite of powerful analysis tools can then be used to georeference and align scans, obtain rapid drift dimensions for ventilation or project engineering purposes, calculate volumes, investigate the incidence of overbreak/underbreak, determine shotcrete thicknesses to control overspray and more. These rich data sets also include intensity information which can be highlighted within Deswik to reveal a variety of important features such as survey targets, ventilation tubing, utility pipes, rock bolt plates, water infiltration, cracking in shaft liners and even geological nuances for mapping purposes. This full suite of applications will be available within Deswik 2016.2.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Komatsu America Corp., a leading global heavy equipment manufacturer, has appointed Dan Funcannon as the Vice President and General Manager of the company’s mining division.
Funcannon replaces Erik Wilde, who accepted a position with another company.
In this role, Funcannon is responsible for the sales and support of Komatsu mining products in North America, as well as Komatsu’s 200 t and larger mining trucks globally.
“I’m looking forward to showing our customers how a trusted partner like Komatsu can add value with services and solutions that help their operations succeed, “ said Funcannon. “This mining environment is no time to retreat and hope the storm passes. Komatsu will press forward with leading technologies like autonomous trucks and innovative mine optimization tools that can help our customers be more efficient now and prepare them for the future,” Funcannon said.
Funcannon joined Komatsu in 1994 as a design engineer and has held roles of increasing responsibility within the research and development organisation. Most recently, he was director of engineering, responsible for all engineering activities for large mining trucks.
Funcannon also oversaw new-product research and development projects, including new AC drive haul trucks, autonomous technology adoption into large mining trucks, and innovations to mining trucks that improve safety, quality, reliability and productivity.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Ohio University has received a US$2 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunities and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) program to create a 28-county regional innovation network in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
The goal of the program is to create 125 new businesses and 1110 jobs and raise US$25 million in company investments from public and private sources over the next six years.
“Throughout Ohio University’s 212 year history, we have witnessed the fallout from closures of coal operations, power production facilities and industrial suppliers across this great region. We recognise our responsibility to extend beyond our campuses to engage communities in economic development activities that create jobs and improve lives,” said Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis.
Ohio University’s Innovation Center, an incubator for small high-tech businesses, and partners from across the tristate region will work collaboratively on the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) program to provide expertise, training and resources to the regional workforce, entrepreneurs, companies and local communities.
The Innovation Center in Athens and the Muskingum County Business Incubator in Zanesville will serve as LIGHTS program hubs, offering facilities, equipment, engineering and design expertise to support a variety of industries, including advanced manufacturing companies.
With the new funding, the Innovation Center plans to expand its outreach events and prototype development services, which include design and small batch manufacturing. The incubator will also broaden the scope of the types of businesses and entrepreneurs it serves to reach non-tech sectors. The grant will allow the Muskingum County Business Incubator to more closely align its efforts with Zane State College’s IDEA Lab, a makerspace that features resources such as 3D printers, CNC machines and CAD-based design tools. The Muskingum County Business Incubator helps entrepreneurs conduct market research and commercialize new products.
The LIGHTS program also will support five community ‘gateways’ to assist the unemployed and underemployed throughout the tristate region. The AthensMakerSpace in Athens, the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) in Athens and Nelsonville, the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) in South Point, the Somerset Learning Center and Technology Hub in Somerset, and the Shawnee State University in Portsmouth will offer services such as skill building, new product and technology development, entrepreneurial assistance, venture development, business planning, financial management and marketing, as well as access to new facilities and equipment.
In addition to the Innovation Center, Ohio University collaborators on the LIGHTS program include Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, Center for Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development Center, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, TechGROWTH Ohio, CREATE_space, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Scripps College of Communication, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Fine Arts and College of Business.
“Ohio University has cultivated a strong innovation ecosystem that has engaged a diverse network of public and private regional partners to advance technology commercialisation, business creation and workforce support,” said Joseph Shields, Ohio University Vice President for research and creative activity and dean of the Graduate College. “The new POWER grant will allow us to expand this successful strategy further into Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, to better the economic health and future development of these communities.”
High-speed belts moving high volumes of material can create unique challenges for conveyor belt cleaning systems. In addition, many of these conveyors use large head pulleys, further complicating the application of an effective primary belt cleaner. ASGCO® has offered a solution to these challenges with the Super-Skalper HD®.
Available in several blade configurations, ASGCO’s Super-Skalper HD® can tackle the toughest carry-back applications. The one piece mounting tube and E-Z Torque® Tensioner applies consistent and proper pressure ensuring constant cleaning contact throughout the life of the blade. The blade wear indicator allows operators to monitor blade wear without having to shut down the system for inspection and can be done in minutes, without tools. Ideal for both opencast and underground mining.
Advantages include:
In its financial report for year ended 30 June 2016 (FY16), South32 has reported Illawarra metallurgical coal saleable production decreased by 560 000 t (6%) to 8.4 million t in FY16 as challenging geological conditions were encountered at the Appin and Dendrobium mines in the first six months of the reporting period. Three planned longwall moves were also completed during the year.
The Appin Area 9 project was completed in January 2016, ahead of schedule and below budget, significantly increasing longwall utilisation and cutting rates. Saleable coal production guidance is unchanged at 9.5 million t for FY17 and this rate of production is expected to be maintained in FY18. Two longwall moves and one step around are planned for FY17, with the step around scheduled for the September 2016 quarter and the two longwall moves for the March 2017 quarter.
Operating unit costs decreased by 18% to US$61/t in FY16 as the US dollar strengthened and the company reorganised the operation into two teams, surface processing and logistics, and underground mining, thereby removing layers of management and functional support while creating greater focus. Employee and contractor numbers declined by 17%.
Previously announced restructuring initiatives have been completed and South32 expects operating unit costs, including sustaining capital expenditure, to decline to US$71/t in FY17 (FY16: US$80/t). This reflects planned Sustaining capital expenditure of US$117M, including underground development of approximately US$66 million.
Underlying EBIT decreased by US$31 million in FY16 to a loss of US$61 million. Lower realised coal prices (-US$128 million, net of price-linked costs) and a decline in sales volumes (-US$36 million) were partially offset by a US$67 million reduction in controllable costs and the benefit of a stronger US dollar (+US$71 million).
Capital expenditure decreased by 40% to US$185 million in FY16 with the completion of the Appin Area 9 project. Underground development of US$106 million included US$64 million for Appin Area 9.
Pre-tax restructuring costs, including redundancies, of approximately US$12 million were incurred in FY16 and have been excluded from the group’s underlying earnings measures.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Kibo Mining plc, the Tanzania focused mineral exploration and development company, has signed a new agreement with major international China-based EPC contractor, SEPCO III. The agreement establishes a re-defined contractual relationship between SEPCO III and the company by which SEPCO III can earn the right to become the sole bidder for the EPC contract to build the power plant component of Kibo’s, Mbeya coal to power project (MCCP). This agreement supersedes and replaces the existing joint development agreement currently in force between the two parties (first announced on 20 April 2015).
Principal terms and conditions of the agreement include:
SEPCO III to refund Kibo for 50% of the total development costs incurred by Kibo on the MCPP to date with a fixed first tranche in the amount of US$1.8 million to be paid in cash to Kibo, no later than 30 August 2016.
SEPCO III and Kibo to mutually agree by no later than 22 September 2016 for the final amount that constitutes the development costs; the final amount to be refunded to Kibo; and the date at which the residual refund amount (i.e. final amount to be refunded less the initial US$1.8 million first tranche) will be payable to Kibo.
Conditional on Kibo receiving the first refund tranche of US$1.8 million and mutual agreement being reached between the parties on the refund payment balance due, SEPCO III will be formally appointed sole bidder and will be required to submit an EPC bid proposal to Kibo by 22 October 2016. This bid must meet the EPC-specification laid down by Kibo and Tractebel Engineering (MCPP Definitive Power Feasibility Study consultant) for the construction of the MCPP thermal power plant. This EPC-specification requires the EPC-bid to, amongst others, be competitive against an international benchmark determined by Tractebel in respect of elements such as price, technical standards, operational, management and financial capability and capacity. The final bid must also comply with international good practice and standards and will in the final instance be subject to acceptance by Kibo and its financial advisors appointed to the MCPP.
Subject to SEPCO III’s bid proposal meeting the EPC-specification as determined by Kibo and Tractebel Engineering, SEPCO III will be formally awarded the EPC contract by Kibo, no later than 23 December 2016.
The agreement provides for summary termination in the event of any of the listed conditions not being met, specifically in terms of missing any of the agreed timelines.
Louis Coetzee, CEO of Kibo Mining, said: “We are extremely pleased that we have been successful in negotiating a new agreement with SEPCO III on favourable terms that ensures the company continues to hold a 100% interest in the MCPP and still leaves Kibo with full and absolute control over the further development of the project.”
Terex Washing Systems (TWS) will launch two new products, the TWS portfolio, the AggreScalp™ and the FM UltraFines, in North America at the forthcoming MINExpo International Show in Las Vegas, on 26 – 28 September 2016 at Booth 3379.
Market Area Director, Americas, David Quail, commented :“The new product launches is testament to our ongoing commitment to providing enhanced and unique washing solutions to meet customers’ needs and specific washing demands.”
MINExpo International® 2016 is a world of innovation in one place. It is the largest show of its kind in the world and draws an international audience representing all major mining regions of the world. The two new TWS products to be launched will serve an increasingly diverse range of materials handling sectors. First in the new product line-up is the eagerly awaited Modular Scalping Unit, the AggreScalp™. This modular chassis-mounted scalping unit brings operators a well-proven, cost-effective and durable machine in a modular all-electric format. This is ideal for C&D recycling applications as well as quarry and mine overburdens and integrates seamlessly with other key TWS systems including AggreSand™ and AggreScrub™.
The show also sees the launch of a new ultra-fines recovery system, the FM UltraFines™. Increased fines recovery is an increasing demand within numerous facets of the washing industry. By capturing as much fine / suspended solid material in advance of water management stations operators can significantly reduce required overall equipment investment, reduce final waste volumes and by the same measure increase potentially sellable output. The system is receiving significant interest from recycling and remediation operators including dredgers but is also very attractive to quarry and mining operations keen to reduce tailings and the associated costs.
Quail added: “The new product lines being launched in North America will serve an increasingly diverse range of materials handling sectors. The AggreScalp™ unit brings operators a well proven, cost effective and durable machine in a modular all-electric format. This is ideal for C&D recycling applications as well as quarry and mine overburdens and integrates seamlessly with other key TWS systems including AggreSand™ and AggreScrub™. The UltraFines™ will tackle the increasing demand for fines recovery within numerous facets of the washing industry.”
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
A recent survey by Timetric’s Mining Intelligence Centre (MIC) has identified GEOVIA’s Surpac and Minex as the two most widely used mining software platforms across mines in Asia-Pacific.
Timetric’s survey investigated the various mining software platforms used at individual mining operations across Asia-Pacific, highlighting the most popular for five main mining processes: ‘geological mapping and block modelling’, ‘surveying’, ‘drill-and-blast’, ‘mine scheduling’ and ‘mine planning’.
In total, over 100 responses were received from mine managers and other senior decision-makers at mines across eight countries, including India, Indonesia and the Philippines. The results highlighted a preference for two of GEOVIA’s software platforms: Surpac and Minex. Surpac dominated nominations in each of the five categories and Minex regularly featuring as one of the top three for each category. Surpac was used by 37% of mines for ‘geological mapping and block modelling’, 30% for ‘mine planning’, 26% for ‘surveying software’ and 24% for both ‘drill-and-blast’ and ‘scheduling software’.
GEOVIA’s Minex platform was the second most-used platform for ‘geological mapping and block modelling’ and ‘mine scheduling’ requirements with 21% and 15% of the sample respectively, supported by a high proportion of coal mines in the sample.
AutoCAD was the second most-used platform for surveying with 17%, followed by Minex. Orica’s SHOTPlus software was nominated closely behind Surpac as the second most-used drill-and-blast software with 21%. MineScape (17%) was slightly ahead of Minex (16%) as the second most-used mine planning software.
“The trends in the types of mining software platforms used across mines in Asia-Pacific point towards a cost-effective use of a single platform over a broad range of commodity sectors and key mine processes. Investments in technologies and their successful implementation will assist companies in remaining competitive within a tough market,” said Nez Guevara, Senior Mining Analyst at Timetric’s MIC.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
BEIJING — At least 21 people were killed and five injured by an explosion at a coal-fired power plant in central China on Thursday, according to official reports.
The deaths and injuries occurred when a high-pressure steam pipe exploded at a plant in the city of Dangyang in Hubei Province, according to a run by the provincial government.
The plant is owned by the Madian Gangue Power Generation Company, the website said. The company generates thermal power and sells slag, ash and petroleum products.
A man who answered the telephone at the Dangyang government’s propaganda office, who identified himself as Mr. Chen, said that an investigation was underway and that the government would release more details later.
On Thursday night, Xinhua, the state news agency, said an initial investigation by the city found that the steam pipe had burst and started leaking during a debugging process for the power plant, which is still under construction.
The plant uses coal gangue, also known as low-calorific coal, which is waste product from the mining and processing of coal.
Although coal gangue has relatively low energy value, and is considered more harmful to the environment than other types of coal, some central government officials and some provincial governments have been encouraging the establishment of power plants that will burn coal gangue. Otherwise, it is left in piles at mine sites.
China burns about as much coal as the rest of the nations of the world combined, which contributes to its status as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the main cause of . is also responsible for the in many Chinese cities, among the highest in the world.
The Chinese government has pledged to reduce coal use around big population centers to alleviate air pollution and mitigate the effects of climate change. As the country’s economy has slowed, the growth in coal use has decreased, and there was even a in 2015 compared with the previous year.
At the same time, provincial governments have pressed ahead with approvals for building more coal-fired power plants, including ones that would use coal gangue.
Last month, Greenpeace East Asia, based in Beijing, that said China was on track to add an average of one new coal-fired plant a week until 2020, despite attempts by the central government to slow down approval of the plants.
The construction boom can be traced to projects already underway, as well as to loopholes in policy that have allowed provincial officials and companies to receive approval for the plants.
The plant-building boom will result in 400 gigawatts of excess capacity and a waste of more than $150 billion, because the plants are not needed to meet energy demand, Greenpeace said. China now has 910 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity and is expected to retire 70 gigawatts of that.
A sign that there is excess capacity is that coal-fired power plants are operating for far fewer hours than in previous years and at well below their abilities.
In a climate change agreement reached in 2014 with the United States, the Chinese government promised that 20 percent of its energy would come from sources other than fossil fuels by 2030.
Correction: August 11, 2016
An earlier version of this article misstated part of the name of the power plant’s owner. It is the Madian Gangue — not Gange — Power Generation Company.
Greg Zimmerman, an environmental activist, was scrolling through the website of a coal industry association when he came across a presentation that startled him: “Survival Is Victory: Lessons From the Tobacco Wars.”
What surprised Mr. Zimmerman, the deputy policy director at the , a conservation advocacy organization based in Denver, was that the coal industry was, at least in this presentation, deliberately drawing a comparison between itself and the tobacco companies.
That is more typically the argument of environmentalists, who often . They note that the tobacco giants for many years funded trumped-up science and advocacy groups to spread doubt about risks of smoking.
Fossil fuel companies, they argue, have engaged in similar efforts, and investigations by state attorneys general the tactics of Exxon Mobil, which has funded groups that deny the scientific evidence that human activity has increased . Fossil fuel companies and their allies generally to tobacco.
But here was an internal document from the industry that, as Mr. Zimmerman said, “has sort of done our job for us.”
Others have taken note of it as well. After reviewing the presentation, shared with him by a reporter, the state attorney general leading the investigation of Exxon Mobil, of New York, called it important. “This is just the latest example of the fossil fuel industry explicitly adopting the Big Tobacco playbook,” he said.
Mr. Schneiderman last year with Peabody Energy, the giant coal company, after finding that it had not properly disclosed to the public and its shareholders the risks of climate change and regulation to its business — an investigation similar to Mr. Schneiderman’s efforts to determine whether Exxon Mobil had committed fraud in its public statements about climate change.
The 24-slide “Survival Is Victory” presentation was given a year ago at the and annual meeting of the , an industry group representing coal interests in Western states.
The author of the presentation, Richard Reavey, is the vice president for government and public affairs at Cloud Peak Energy, a mining company based in Wyoming. From 1990 to 2007, Mr. Reavey served as an executive with Philip Morris International, working in communications and government affairs.
The slides did not acknowledge the scientific consensus on climate change, but stated that public opinion had shifted so substantially that the question was moot.
“We need to get out of the binary debate on climate change,” one slide read. “Right, but dead, is not a victory.”
The presentation called on the industry to prepare for more stringent regulation, and to build a better future for the industry and its workers by pushing for more research into technology that can capture carbon dioxide from smokestacks, which could extend the use of coal.
The has a possible role for in meeting global goals for limiting carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, but commercial development of the technology has proved .
Mr. Reavey noted that the tobacco industry had settled lawsuits with 48 states in 1998 and agreed to regulation by the . The deal looked to some like the “End of Days,” he wrote in a slide, but “a much more heavily regulated tobacco industry is viable and profitable.”
Like so many elements of climate change, coal is a polarizing issue for political parties.
The 2016 Republican Party strongly supports a continued role for coal, referring to it as “an abundant, clean, affordable, reliable domestic energy resource,” and calls for killing the Obama administration’s , which would continue the process of reducing dependence on coal for producing energy.
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for president, has ” the Clean Power Plan while providing economic opportunities in coal communities affected by it.
For its part, Exxon Mobil has stated that it now accepts the validity of climate science and favors a carbon tax; it also says that since the mid-2000s, it has not funded groups that play down scientific evidence of the human role in global warming.
In an interview, Mr. Reavey, who developed the slide presentation, said it simply recognized the “political reality” that Americans accepted climate science in increasing numbers.
And while the presentation compared coal and tobacco, the two industries are “completely different,” he added. “At the end of the day, energy is something that we, as a society, require. Tobacco is not.”
But a string of recent bankruptcy filings by coal companies has shown the extensive support from the industry for groups that deny the scientific validity of climate change and oppose environmental regulations.
Mr. Reavey said that his company, Cloud Peak, “has never fought climate change — never fought it, never denied it or funded anyone who does.”
The executive director of the industry group, Judy Colgan, recalled that Mr. Reavey’s presentation delivered a message the audience was ready to hear. The industry, she said, has recognized that the time for arguing over climate science has passed.
“We can fight this climate debate all we want to; it’s not going to help the industry survive,” she said, adding that very few people are going to change their minds.
Instead, she added, developing carbon capture should be the top priority.
Naomi Oreskes, a historian the science and public relations of the tobacco and fossil fuel industries, said that while much of the investigative attention in the past year has focused on Exxon Mobil, the coal industry presentation “is a reminder that this is a much more complicated story than just Exxon Mobil.”
Money the coal industry spent on attacking climate science might have been invested to develop effective carbon capture technology, she said.
“That, to me, is a little bit heartbreaking,” she added. “Now I think, ‘Guys, that’s a day late and a dollar short.’”
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Here in the heart of central Appalachian coal country, an economic experiment is underway inside an airy renovated Coca-Cola bottling plant. Most days, Michael Harrison, a former mine electrician and “buggy man” who once drove trucks 700 feet underground, can be found hunched over a silver laptop, designing websites for clients like the .
Mr. Harrison, 36, is one of 10 former mine workers employed at , an internet start-up founded by two Pikeville businessmen determined to prove a point: that with training and encouragement, Kentucky miners can learn to code.
“We told them, ‘Quit thinking of yourselves as unemployed coal workers; you’re technology workers,’” said Rusty Justice, a founder of BitSource. He called his pep talks “reimagination training.”
Nearly 13,000 — and countless more in related industries — have disappeared in Kentucky since President Obama took office; coal employment is at its lowest level since 1898. In Washington, Democrats and Republicans remain locked in a feud over whether Mr. Obama’s aggressive environmental regulations amount to a “war on coal.” On the presidential campaign trail, Donald J. Trump is vowing to
But across central Appalachia, and especially here in eastern Kentucky, elected officials, business leaders, environmentalists and community advocates are looking beyond politics to wrestle with a question essential to the region’s survival: What comes after coal?
The founders of BitSource are not the only ones thinking creatively; there are nascent efforts in craft agriculture and energy efficiency as well. These initiatives will not cure central Appalachia’s economic woes; at BitSource, Mr. Harrison was among 1,000 laid-off miners who applied for 10 jobs.
Rather, said Lora Smith, who oversees grants in central Appalachia for the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, they represent lurching steps into what one local writer called for a region rich in natural resources whose people have deep ties to the land.
It is “terrifying,” Ms. Smith said, “because people are out of work, but it’s also this liberation, to reimagine what this place can be.”
If Pikeville, population 6,900, offers a glimpse into coal country’s uncertain future, Benham, Ky., with 500 mostly elderly residents, is a window into its past.
was built a century ago as a coal mining camp by a subsidiary of International Harvester, which mined the nearby hillsides, extracting coal to make steel. Today, the signs of coal’s decline are everywhere.
The old company store is a mining . The brick schoolhouse, on a hillside overlooking the historic town, is an , said to be . Abandoned houses lay crumbling in the hollows.
Yet on a spring afternoon, something unusual — construction work — was going on. It was part of a to retrofit old company houses like one owned by Pearl Cope, 83, a retired mine company receptionist whose home is so energy inefficient she pays up to $650 a month for heat during the winter.
, 69, a retired miner and member of the local power board, organized the project with help from , a progressive advocacy group.
Mr. Shoupe, a onetime union organizer, is no fan of the coal industry. Badly injured in the mines, he sports a goatee to cover scars on his chin and wears an orthopedic shoe with a two-inch lift to compensate for a mangled left leg. He got into environmental advocacy about a decade ago, after giving up alcohol and finding God.
“I got to looking around, when all this mountaintop removal and strip mining and tearing up of our beautiful mountains was going on, and I started praying about it,” he said.
To Mr. Shoupe, the retrofitting is a small step on the daunting path toward what environmentalists call a — economic growth that does not harm people’s health or the land. To Joshua Bates, 21, who spent the afternoon blowing insulation into Mrs. Cope’s basement, it means a job in the region he calls home.
“A lot of people have left,” Mr. Bates said sadly. “Eighty percent of my friends are gone.”
The road to Hippo, Ky., snakes through a hollow in Floyd County that runs across Brush Creek, not far from where Todd Howard’s ancestors settled after the Revolutionary War.
Mr. Howard, 36, a seventh-generation Kentuckian, grew up here, dodging coal trucks on his bike and watching miners tromp off to work toting their lunch buckets. When he was 19, he joined his father’s business, helping mining companies navigate the cumbersome permit bureaucracy.
But by 2009, with fewer permits being handed out, the company closed. “That sort of catapulted me into this farming thing,” he said.
His path into farming began in February 2010, when he persuaded his wife that they should put a greenhouse in their backyard, and planted 42 varieties of heirloom tomatoes.
Out-of-work Kentuckians are increasingly turning to farming “out of necessity,” said Martin Richards, who runs Kentucky’s . His group works with eight farmers’ markets in eastern Kentucky, including one Mr. Howard helped found with another seventh-generation Kentuckian, ; Mr. Richards says twice as many farmers participate as did five years ago.
In 2014, Congress allowed certain states, including Kentucky, to begin farming industrial hemp after a ban of 60 years. Mr. Hall, 33, a Yale M.B.A. student who also studies environmental management (and briefly worked as a miner), was already exploring the idea of growing hemp, in Kentucky in 1775.
Today, with grants from companies like Patagonia, the clothing manufacturer, he and Mr. Howard are growing hemp on — including five acres of reclaimed surface mine — and have big dreams to scale up.
People here often say there will be no silver bullets, but rather “one thousand silver BBs” to replace lost coal jobs. Mr. Hall offers a variation: “We want to be a part of the silver buckshot,” he said, “that’s going to hopefully transform this region.”
Reimagining central Appalachia will take more than putting unemployed miners back to work. It will also require giving young people a reason to stay.
In 2013, Representative Harold Rogers, a Republican who has been eastern Kentucky’s congressman for 35 years, and Steve Beshear, the governor at the time and a Democrat, became founders of , Shaping Our Appalachian Region, an initiative intended to promote innovation. They were tired of solutions that came from Washington.
“We decided that whatever we did would have to be sprung from within,” Mr. Rogers said.
SOAR convened its first Innovation Summit here in December 2013, in the middle of a blizzard; 1,700 people showed up. That inspired Mr. Justice of BitSource and his business partner, M. Lynn Parrish, whose engineering and excavation company has lost 70 percent of its customers in the coal downturn. They founded BitSource, with help from a federal grant, in an effort to diversify.
About an hour away in Whitesburg, the leaders of an arts organization that grew out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, were also rethinking the group’s future in a post-coal economy. Ada Smith, 29, is among a new generation taking over; she is the daughter of an Appalshop founder, , 64, a filmmaker and miner’s son who has spent the past half-century documenting union fights, mine disasters, polluted land and water, and wrenching cycles of boom and bust.
“What’s needed in this transition,” said Ms. Smith, who returned home after college, “are people in the region who want to stay — and figure it out.”
That rethinking led Appalshop to create a for-profit digital marketing venture, . It was unveiled in March at a party where a , an early client, served thimble-size drinks. The company, a worker-owned cooperative, has two full-time employees on a team of 12, its chief executive, Jeremy McQueen, 30, said. The hope is to hire local young people over time.
On a bright Monday in June, SOAR held its third here. It looked like a convention of tree-huggers and suits. Lunch was served outside while a bluegrass band played. There were two sandwich options: pulled pork and vegan wraps.
Old coal country tensions flared. While Mr. Rogers was speaking, Ada and Herb Smith helped unfurl a banner the construction of a $444 million prison. Mr. Rogers says it will bring 300 jobs, but Mr. Smith calls it “the wrong answer to the region’s economic problems.”
Mr. Parrish, who has known Mr. Smith for decades (their wives were college sorority sisters), was furious. “We’re all there trying to do solutions,” he said. “This was not the venue to do that in.”
Even so, Mr. Justice and Mr. McQueen made plans to get together, to talk about ways their fledgling tech companies might collaborate. The encounter spoke volumes about the current political moment here. As Mr. Justice said: “Cats and dogs are sleeping together in the mountains now.”
Correction: August 17, 2016
An earlier version of a picture caption with this article attributed incorrectly the comment about the region needing people who want to say in the area. It was from Ada Smith, not her father, Herb E. Smith. The quote has been removed.
BEIJING — Burning coal has the worst health impact of any source of air pollution in and caused 366,000 premature deaths in 2013, Chinese and American researchers said on Thursday.
Coal is responsible for about 40 percent of the deadly fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 in China’s atmosphere, according to a study the researchers released in Beijing.
Those figures are consistent with what Chinese scientists have been saying in recent years about industrial coal burning and its relation to air pollution.
, which was peer-reviewed, grew out of a collaboration between Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s top research universities, and the , based in Boston, a research center that receives funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the worldwide motor vehicle industry. The researchers’ primary aim was to identify the main sources of air pollution leading to premature deaths in China.
The study attributed 155,000 deaths in 2013 related to ambient PM 2.5 to industrial coal burning, and 86,500 deaths to coal burning at power plants. Fuel combustion of both coal and biomass in households was another major cause of disease that year, resulting in 177,000 deaths, the study concluded.
The researchers also found that transportation was a major cause of mortality related to PM 2.5, with 137,000 deaths attributed to it in 2013. In recent years, Chinese scientists have said that motor vehicle emissions are a leading source of air pollution in cities, although not as great as coal burning. Vehicle ownership is rising fast in China, and officials, carmakers, and oil and gas companies have quarreled over setting emissions standards.
China consumes almost as much coal annually as all other countries combined, and coal burning in the country is the of both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of . Chinese cities are among the most polluted in the world. Provinces in northern China, where steel, cement and power plants are common, have the highest concentrations of PM 2.5 in the country.
But the growth in China’s coal consumption has begun to slow. Last year, there was compared with 2014, largely because of an economic slowdown that has been faster and deeper than many experts had expected.
In addition, the Chinese government announced plans in 2013, when popular anxiety over air pollution , to curb coal use in three major population centers in the east. Placing limits on coal use is also consistent with pledges made by President to try to reduce the effects of climate change.
The new study projected four scenarios based on different possible government policies, and each projection showed a decline in the average levels of PM 2.5 in coming years.
But in the study’s executive summary, the researchers said that “despite these air pollution reductions, the overall health burden is expected to increase by 2030 as the population ages and becomes more susceptible to diseases most closely linked to air pollution.”
Even under the most stringent policies on coal use and energy efficiency, coal is expected to remain the single biggest contributor to PM 2.5 and China’s health burden in 2030, the study said.
The study was a follow-up to a examining deaths in 2013, which estimated that PM 2.5 contributed to 2.9 million premature deaths worldwide, with 64 percent of those in China, India and other developing countries in Asia. Premature deaths due to PM 2.5 exposure were also high in Eastern Europe. A larger study on 2013 deaths was published last year by The Lancet, a British medical journal.
That study estimated the number of premature deaths in China in 2013 related to PM 2.5 exposure at 916,000, out of a population of 1.4 billion. Researchers found that outdoor air pollution was the fifth leading cause of premature deaths in China, behind , smoking, high consumption of sodium and low consumption of fruit. Household air pollution was the sixth leading cause.
An earlier Global Burden of Disease study that found that outdoor air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths, nearly 40 percent of the global total. Exposure to ambient particulate matter that year was the fourth leading cause of premature deaths in China.
In 2013, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, based in Paris, warned that “urban air pollution is set to become the top environmental cause of mortality worldwide by 2050, ahead of dirty water and lack of sanitation.” It said that as many as 3.6 million people could end up dying prematurely from air pollution each year, mostly in China and India.
Abroad in America
By DECLAN WALSH
POWELLTON, W.Va. — Deep in the belly of an Appalachian mountain, a powerful machine bored into the earth, its whirring teeth clawing out a stream of glistening coal. Men followed inside the Maple Eagle No. 1 mine, their torches cutting through the dank air. One guided the machine with a PlayStation-like controller; others bolted supports in the freshly cut roof.
They were angry. The coal industry that made West Virginia prosperous has been devastated. Every day, it seemed, another mine laid off workers or closed entirely. Friends were forfeiting their cars, homes and futures.
For these men, this season’s presidential campaign boils down to a single choice. “I’m for Trump,” said Dwayne Riston, 27, his face smeared in dust. “Way I see it, if he wins, we might at least stand a chance of surviving.”
Few places in America offer such a simple electoral calculus as the rolling, tree-studded hills of West Virginia.
Even as , the Republican presidential nominee, lags badly in crucial swing states and , he remains on solid ground here with to “bring back coal.” The fact that his Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, , “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business,” has helped, too.
But this is not just about economics. West Virginia’s coal country is part of the broader white, working-class vote that has coalesced around a single candidate, Mr. Trump, like never before. His support here stems from a profound, decades-in-the-making sense of that has left people feeling distant from their leaders, and even from fellow Americans.
“I kind of feel that people are looking down on us,” said Neil Hanshew, a miner, voicing a common sentiment. “They’re looking at us like we’re a bunch of dumb hillbillies who can’t do anything else.”
I found my way to the Maple Eagle No. 1 mine after I met the mine manager at a church in Mingo County, famed as the center of the more than a century ago, when rival clan members battled it out along the border with Kentucky. This is not my regular beat — I’m usually reporting on the Arab world as The New York Times’s bureau chief in Cairo, but I have come to the United States for a few months to from a foreigner’s perspective.
After Mr. Trump’s in Cleveland and in Philadelphia, I hit the road to explore how the campaign themes were playing out on the ground.
Mingo County, a picturesque district of twisting valleys, is steeped in the lore of coal, corruption and violence. A gun battle between mine company officials and unionized workers in 1920 brought the nickname “Bloody Mingo,” fodder today for history tourists and TV serials. I checked into a hotel in the county seat, Williamson, where the manager offered a run-down of the area’s more recent dramas.
In 2013, the county sheriff in his patrol car. A year later, a senior judge (“Folks knew him as ‘the king,’” the manager said). More recently, the local coal magnate, Donald L. Blankenship, started for breaching safety standards at a mine where 29 miners died in an accident in 2010.
And in May, a wealthy coal executive was in the town cemetery as he visited his wife’s grave. A pair of drug addicts have been arrested.
Williamson itself, a town of 3,000, is a picture of social and economic decay. Unemployment, at 12 percent, is more than twice the United States average. Cash-for-gold stores crowd alongside lawyers’ offices and gun dealerships. Rates of heroin overdoses and obesity are among the highest in America. Many residents scrape by on food stamps.
In the surrounding hills, abandoned coal mines hum with the noise of ventilation pumps still circulating oxygen through the empty shafts, in the hope that they might one day be reopened.
Yet the people of Mingo County have forged their own brand of resilience, one born of the tight-knit rural values that draw embattled citizens together. For some, that means planning for a better future: Dr. Dino Beckett, a local physician, has spearheaded initiatives to grow healthy food locally and reduce diabetes. For others, it means lifting a defiant finger to the outside world.
At the in Delbarton, 10 miles from Williamson, Sunday services were both exuberant and solemn, a mark of the conservative Christianity that holds strong here. Peals of catchy gospel songs were followed by a fervent sermon delivered by an evangelical missionary who had taken 900 Jewish immigrants to Israel (in fulfillment of a biblical prophesy, she explained) and sought to convert Arab Muslims.
Among the singers on stage was Bo Copley, the area’s most famous out-of-work miner. His celebrity stems from , when hundreds of jeering protesters, many wielding Trump signs, lined the main street. “Go home!” they yelled as Mrs. Clinton, wearing a strained smile, slipped into a private meeting.
Mrs. Clinton has apologized for her comment about putting coal out of business, saying she was misunderstood. But Mr. Copley, who had been called to meet Mrs. Clinton, challenged her, sliding a photo of his three young children across the table while the television cameras rolled.
“How can you come in here and tell us you’re going to be our friend?” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Because those people out there don’t see you as a friend.”
Days later, at a Trump rally in the state capital, Charleston, Mr. Copley received a standing ovation. “People are tired of politicians,” he told me during my visit. “Trump is a break from the status quo, which promises the moon but doesn’t deliver.”
He struck a chord across coal country, giving voice to the inchoate rage and impotence that has accompanied the near-collapse, in less than a decade, of a lucrative industry. With salaries starting at $70,000 a year, a job in the mines was long considered the local jackpot. Mingo County’s breathtaking valleys and hollers — narrow creeks bordered by high hills — are lined with spacious homes, swimming pools and gleaming vehicles. Now, there is a palpable fear that the good life is gone, perhaps for good.
Jeremy Queen, 35, earned $30 an hour in a mine a few years ago. Now he is working security at a Walmart for $10.50 an hour, and the economic slump means even the shopping mall that houses his store is suffering.
“When the mines go down, it hurts everything,” he said.
Political fury in Mingo County focuses squarely on the Environmental Protection Agency and President Obama, who is seen as having started a “war on coal.” Issues of race and class bubble under the surface: Mingo County, population 27,000, is 97 percent white, and racial epithets that are taboo in much of America still ring out openly. Support for Mr. Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigrants is strong, even though Muslims constitute only a tiny fraction of West Virginians.
In 2012, local Democrats , a felon incarcerated in Texas, as their nominee for president instead of Mr. Obama.
On a sleepy Sunday afternoon, a red pickup truck rolled slowly along Williamson’s main street, bearing two giant flags: one for Mr. Trump, the other emblazoned with the Confederate colors. Corey Matney, 26 years old and wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt, stepped out and asked why I was taking pictures. Of the Confederate flag, he said, “That’s heritage, not hate.”
Mr. Matney, who was in Williamson to play Pokémon Go with his girlfriend, is a linesman for a telecommunications company that, he said, is losing 500 customers a month. “Families are moving away,” he said. “I know Donald Trump may not be the best man for the job. But he’s the lesser of two evils.”
There is no doubt that Mr. Trump, a brash Manhattan tycoon who lives in a gilded tower, can seem a discordant political idol for rural America. Many overlook that, pointing to his business success and his war on “political correctness” while berating Muslims and “tree-hugger” environmentalists. But some have been jarred by his ideas.
Mr. Copley’s wife, Lauren, has a sister whose husband is Jordanian, and was upset by a recent question from her 6-year-old niece. “She said, ‘If Donald Trump comes in, does that mean that we have to leave?’” Ms. Copley recalled.
Ms. Copley started to cry. “He just spouts off,” she said. “I can’t fathom that.”
“Some of the things he says really bother me,” her husband added. “But we have a lot of people in this area who are very angry, very upset.”
Mr. Trump and his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, have yet to explain how they will revive the coal industry. Aside from the Obama administration’s tough environmental regulations, the decline of coal is a product of hard economic realities: Natural gas, produced by new fracking technologies, is simply much cheaper.
For West Virginians like Roger Ooten, 56, their ballots may be a mark of resignation more than one of hope.
A giant Trump sign adorned the gate of Mr. Ooten’s neat house in Delbarton, where he sat on the porch, rocking gently on a chair. He retired after 16 years working at a mine in Turkey Creek. Now he watches in despair as the community around him crumbles.
Mr. Ooten is following the election on conservative channels like Fox News. He doesn’t like Mr. Trump’s invective against Mexicans. “They gotta eat, too,” he said. “You can’t be mean to people.”
But in November, Mr. Ooten will stick with Mr. Trump. “He’s the only shot we got,” he said. “Because if something doesn’t happen, this is going to be a ghost town.”
TerraCom Ltd has announced the agreement of a AUS$1.1 million placement to three large Eastern European based private investment companies, led by Light Speed Commercial Inc. The company will use its existing capacity under listing rules 7.1 and 7.1A whilst it is available.
The details are listed below:
Mr Cameron McRae, Chairman, commented: “This placement is yet another building block in the company’s funding strategy, which will help deliver the expansion of our Mongolian coking coal mine, acquisition and commissioning of the Queensland thermal coal mine and completion of the potential acquisition of the Indonesia coking coal mine.”
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
Universal Coal has announced that the re-commissioning of New Clydesdale Colliery (NCC) remains on schedule, expecting first coal in September 2016.
NCC hosts JORC 2012 Mineral Resource of 130.4 million t and will initially commence with 900 000 tpy. A second phase opencast development will commence upon securing of an offtake agreement, adding a further 2 million tpy ROM of coal.
Universal’s CEO, Mr Tony Weber, commented: “We look forward to bringing NCC on stream and delivering on our stated strategy of becoming a multi-mine coal producer. With our first operation Kangala providing strong production and cash flows, NCC will soon feature as our ‘second leg’ to stand on. Once the second phase of NCC is up and running and at [a] steady state we will be in a good position to consider shareholder returns, including dividends.”
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
Rhino Resource Partners LP has announced it entered into an agreement to sell its Elk Horn coal leasing company to a third party for total cash consideration of US$12.5 million.
Joe Funk, Chief Executive Officer of Rhino’s general partner, stated: “The cash received from the sale of Elk Horn will continue to reduce our debt and provide us additional financial flexibility for our future coal operations. While Elk Horn has been a positive cash flow contributor to us since its acquisition in 2011, the ongoing weakness in the Central Appalachia steam coal markets has adversely impacted Elk Horn and its lessees. The Partnership determined the best value for our unitholders at this time was to monetise this asset. We appreciate the contributions and hard work the Elk Horn employees have provided to Rhino.”
The Partnership was also reported the following executive appointments: Rick Boone was promoted to the position of President of the general partner and all subsidiaries.
Mr. Boone stated: “I appreciate the trust placed in me by our general partner and I look forward to helping navigate Rhino through the complexities of our industry as we move forward. Rhino has persevered during this extended market downturn and we are poised for growth and new opportunities as market conditions improve.”
Additionally, Scott Morris was promoted to the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
William Tuorto, the general partner’s Chairman of the Board, stated: “Rhino has a proficient executive team that has remained focused through the change in ownership and control over the past year, and I look forward to working more closely with senior management to continue to develop the company’s strategic growth plan for the future; the sale of Elk Horn and the executive appointments represent initial corporate actions in furtherance of this objective.”
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has published the weekly coal production data for the week ending 13 August 2016. The highlights are detailed below:
For more information, visit: http://www.eia.gov/coal/production/weekly/
No grinder can beat the speed of a Vibratory Disc Mill when it comes to preparing samples, e.g. for XRF analyses. In addition to the Vibratory Disc Mill RS 200, RETSCH now offers the RS 300 XL for sample volumes of up to 2000 ml.
This new model allows for simultaneous processing of up to 4 samples. As a result of the robust universal drive shaft, which sets the grinding jar into a 3D motion, it accepts grinding sets weighing up to 30 kg. The RS 300 XL very effectively grinds hard, brittle and fibrous samples, such as cement, coal, minerals or electronic components by impact and friction. Grind sizes below 50 microns are typically obtained in a matter of seconds. For safe operation the grinding set is firmly attached to the vibration plate with a pneumatic clamping device.
A selection of grinding jar materials and sizes makes this mill versatile and suitable for grinding a variety of sample materials without affecting analysis results.
Due to the high final fineness and speed both RETSCH Vibratory Disc Mills are a good choice when it comes to preparing samples for spectral analysis.
Benefits of the RS 300 XL include:
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of 14 research and development projects to advance energy systems that will enable cost-competitive, fossil fuel–based power generation with near-zero emissions.
The new projects, which span 11 states, will accelerate the scale-up of coal-fired advanced combustion power systems, advance coal gasification processes and improve the cost, reliability and endurance of solid oxide fuel cells.
The total value of the projects is over $36 million, which includes a federal investment of more than US$28 million and recipient cost-sharing of US$8.4 million.
The selected projects are expected to advance technologies that increase the performance, efficiency and availability of existing and new fossil fuel–based power generation; support national goals for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions; and help facilitate the safe and sustainable use of the Nation’s abundant fossil energy resources.
Funding for the new projects is provided by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE). The projects will be managed by FE’sNational Energy Technology Laboratory. The selected projects will support DOE’s Advanced Combustion Systems Program, which is developing efficient and economically attractive combustion systems that generate electricity with near-zero emissions.
Three projects were selected to complete preliminary designs of pilot plants based on advanced combustion systems. The selected projects will accelerate the scale-up of coal-fired advanced combustion power generation technologies capable of 90% CO2 capture with substantially improved cost and performance. The pilot plants will be at least 10 megawatts-electrical (MWe) in scale or equivalent and contain design features that will be assessed before commercial-scale demonstration. Technical and economic analyses will also be conducted at commercial-scale to evaluate the ultimate cost and performance relative to DOE goals.
The projects are:
Two projects were selected to develop stand-alone oxygen-production technologies for use in coal gasification processes. The new technologies will produce oxygen of at least 95% purity for use in small-scale (500 kW to 5 MW) modular power plants at significantly lower cost than commercial state-of-the-art oxygen-production technologies. This, in turn, will help reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of producing syngas, a gaseous mixture composed mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can be converted into clean electricity, fertilizer, chemicals, or liquid fuel for internal combustion engines.
The projects are:
Nine research projects were selected to improve the cost, reliability and endurance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). An SOFC is a solid-state electrochemical device that directly converts reformed hydrocarbon fuels to electricity. Advantages of SOFCs include high efficiency, long-term stability, fuel flexibility, low emissions and relatively low costs. The projects were selected by DOE’s Advanced Energy System Program based upon responses to a funding opportunity announcement soliciting proposals in two topic areas: SOFC core technology and innovative concepts.
Five core technology projects were selected. These projects will focus on applied laboratory or bench-scale R&D that improves the cost, robustness, reliability and endurance of SOFC stack and or balance-of-plant technology:
Four innovative concept projects were selected. These projects will support the research and development of SOFC technology that has the potential to surpass current SOFC technology in terms of cost, robustness, reliability, or endurance:
The Office of Fossil Energy funds research, development and demonstration projects to reduce the risk and cost of advanced carbon technologies and further the sustainable use of the Nation’s fossil resources.
NRG Texas Power (NRG) has provided notice to Westmoreland Coal Co. that it will terminate the lignite supply agreement at the Jewett mine two years early on 31 December 2016.
Westmoreland will conduct the multi-year reclamation work for NRG following the conclusion of the supply contract.
“As NRG has decided to fuel its plant differently in response to current energy market conditions, we are shifting our focus to providing multi-year reclamation services. We have an outstanding track record of operating the Jewett mine safely and cost efficiently and plan to build on this performance during the reclamation phase,” said Kevin Paprzycki, Chief Executive Officer of Westmoreland Coal.
The lignite supply contract with NRG is a cost plus contract, which accounts for approximately 2% of Westmoreland’s 2016 adjusted EBITDA guidance. Westmoreland expects to maintain positive cash flow generation at Jewett during the next several years with the cost plus arrangement continuing through reclamation. NRG is responsible for the reclamation liability so Westmoreland does not foresee using cash net of reimbursements for reclamation.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Associated British Port’s (ABP) Port of Ayr, in Scotland, has recorded one of its busiest days in the last 25 years, with five vessels calling at the port last Thursday on 18 August 2016.
It was one of the busiest weeks in Ayr in a generation, with 10 vessels calling at the port during the course of the week– four of those for renewable energy projects.
The last time the port saw this level of activity was when 1.1 million t of opencast coal was exported through Ayr in 1991.
ABP reported that as the UK energy industry transitions to renewable energy sources, the boost in ship numbers has been a result of growing demand to serve wind farm projects underway in the south-west of Scotland.
The 18 August saw the port become a hub of activity with five ships calling in Ayr, each accommodating different cargoes, such as onshore wind turbine components, coal exports and timber discharge.
In the past week, wind turbine components were delivered for three separate renewable energy projects.
Port Manager for Ayr and Troon Stuart Cresswell said: “Along with our traditional agribulk and mineral business, the wind turbine contracts we have secured this year have provided a fantastic boost to the port and all our local supporting contractors and suppliers.”
ABP Short Sea Ports Director Andrew Harston added: “Following our success in supporting additional cruise calls this year, we are now actively supporting the development of more renewable power in south-west Scotland.”
“The location of ABP’s Ayrshire ports places them in close proximity to these onshore wind farms. The Ports of Ayr and Troon are equipped and ready to work with renewable energy companies to serve their projects,” he continued. “This has been a strong period for our two Scottish ports. ABP is continually investing in the ports to underpin the important regional role they fulfil in serving the needs of the Ayrshire region and the west coast of Scotland.”
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
A research breakthrough that is expected to dramatically increase gas yields from coal seams and biogas plants will be trialled for industrial application for the first time in partnership with India’s largest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
By adding a common synthetic dye, microbiologists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have demonstrated a ten-fold increase in the volume of methane generated by microbes in coal seams, and even larger gains in biogas derived from agricultural and food waste.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW Australia) and India’s Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) will partner to develop the industrial application of the phenomenon in coal seam gas wells operated by India’s state-owned ONGC, the country’s dominant oil and gas explorer and producer.
In its recent funding round, the Australia India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) announced a new grant of AUS$1 million to support the project.
UNSW’s researchers have already replicated the gains in gas volumes outside the laboratory, in tests in coal seams west of Sydney. However, the Indian trials will enable a battery of industrial-scale tests factoring in critical variables, such as coal seam pressure and temperature, as well as enabling the development of new technologies to precisely introduce the dye.
In the UNSW research, the crystals formed from neutral red dye were also shown to increase gas yields from microbes living on organic waste by up to 18 times. The breakthrough could extend the life of coal seam gas wells as well as greatly boost gas yields from bio-digesters that use carbon-neutral organic waste to generate methane for electricity production.
“This is very exciting and likely to be a game changer,” said the project’s leader, UNSW Associate Professor Mike Manefield. “There is a lot riding on natural gas, or methane, to help bring global emissions down as the world transitions to cleaner fuels.”
“As gases burn far more efficiently than solids, you emit half as much carbon dioxide for the same amount of electricity when you burn gas, compared to coal,” he continued.
Associate Professor Manefield said his team “happened upon” the breakthrough when using the common dye, phenazine neutral red, while investigating methane-producing microbes. These “methanogenic archaea” live in coal seams and on organic waste, producing 1 billion t of biogas a year. At the right concentration, the dye forms previously unobserved crystals that act as electron sponges that “power up” the microbes, boosting their growth and methane production.
“It’s simple. If the microbes grow faster, they emit more methane,” he added.
In India, the national electricity grid is under intense pressure and some areas have no access to power. Accelerated methane production is not only a potential means of extracting much more energy from each coal seam gas well, but the process may also open up new sources of gas. Much of India’s untapped coal deposits consist of younger, softer coal that is much easier for methane-producing microbes to digest – and, therefore, potentially a much larger sources of methane than higher-value hard, black coal. Using the UNSW synthetic dye process, these currently unviable soft coal deposits may be more commercially attractive for coal seam gas development.
“We could greatly reduce the number of coal seam gas wells needed to deliver the same amount of gas – and also add value to coal deposits that would otherwise be uneconomical to exploit,” Associate Professor Manefield explained.
The Indian-based project is also expected to deliver new fundamental knowledge about how methane-producing microbes work, he said. “We still don’t really understand how they tick. This is a chance to learn more about how they work, and so inform our wider understanding of methane gas production.”
Associate Professor Manefield and his team have previously collaborated successfully with Indian researchers, with the support of the AISRF, on the development of biological solutions to oil spills. The resulting patented, commercialised process introduces bacteria that literally eats up and digests hydrocarbons, with only carbon dioxide and water as a byproduct.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has announced the winners of the 2016 Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards, which honor coal mine operators who have carried out exemplary reclamation of the land they have mined after production is completed.
This is the 30th year that OSMRE will give awards to operators who ensure their on-the-ground performance not only conforms with the mining permit, but is exemplary within that state or geographic area; that other mining activities at the site do not detract from the award-winning activity, and that they have no outstanding violations or past record of not abating violations. The judges based their selections on:
This year’s honourees are listed below:
The 2016 Excellence in Surface Mining Awards will be presented at the 2016 International MINExpo in Las Vegas, Nevada on 28 September 2016.
Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company, today has reported its generation capacity increased by close to 9% in the first quarter of the 2017 financial year (1Q17), compared to the same period in the 2016 financial year (1Q16).
The company generates power from various fuel sources, such as thermal (coal, gas and oil), hydroelectric power, renewable energy (wind and solar) and waste heat recovery. It has a significant presence in the clean energy space with a gross installed capacity of 1996 MW.
Tata, together with all its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities, has an installed generation capacity of 9432 MW (as of August 2016) as compared to 8669 MW in FY16 mainly due to commissioning of 44 MW Lahori wind farm project in Madhya Pradesh and Cennergi (Pty) achieving commercial operations of both its 134 MW Amakhala Emoyeni and 95 MW Tsitsikamma Wind Farms.
Overall in 1Q17, the company continued its robust operations with Maithon power plant generating 1845 MUs. Standalone generation for the quarter stood at 3163 MUs. Trombay thermal power generated 1789 MUs. Jojobera thermal power plant generated 698 MUs and Haldia reported generation of 184 MUs. Industrial Energy Limited reported generation of 546 MUs and TPREL, the renewable energy arm of Tata Power, generated 144 MUs in Q1 (this includes wind and solar energy sources). Total consolidated generation stood at 11 122 MUs.
Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Power, said: “Tata Power has and will continue to be a part of India’s growth story. We have, in this quarter, spread our footprint across the country, also commissioned plants in international geographies with a special focus on the renewables. We are confident that in the next few years we will have greater contribution towards the Government and consumers’ vision of ‘Power for All’.”
With the support of leading technological innovations, excellence in project execution, world class safety processes, customer care, and green initiatives, the company has established a strong foothold across the country and overseas. Tata Power continues to be on the lookout for feasible organic and inorganic projects, both greenfield and brownfield, in India and globally.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Glencore has released its half year report for 2016 for its metals, minerals, energy products and agricultural products as well as a financial update.
Focusing on coal, the company reported that seaborne prices steadily increased throughout 1H16 from the lows previously seen in February. This is reported to be driven by reduced export volumes from the US and Indonesia in response to unsustainably low market prices and a lack of investment in new supply. Supply from other seaborne sources, except Russia, which showed a marginal increase year to date, was stable.
The net seaborne supply reduction was subsequently aided by the Chinese government introducing a 276 working day rule for coal producers on 1 May, equating to an effective 16% reduction in volumes. By the end of June 2016, supply shortfalls contributed to the Newcastle, API4 and API2 indices rising by 17%, 22% and 26% respectively from their 1Q16 lows. Prices continued to increase into Q3.
Global seaborne thermal coal demand is expected to remain flat year-on-year, with demand declines in the UK and India offset by increases in China, Vietnam, Philippines, Turkey and the African continent. Demand for premium and index-quality thermal coal remains robust with a significant portion of the supply reductions being of higher energy coals, resulting in even further market segmentation/quality pricing differentials.
Glencore indicated that the metallurgical coal market is significantly tighter period-on-period due to US supply reductions and higher demand from China.
Energy products (including both coal and oil) industrial revenue of US$3363 million was 26% down on 1H15, reflecting lower coal and oil prices and production decreases, following the various previously announced supply-side discipline initiatives and the deconsolidation of Optimum Coal in 3Q15. The lower realised coal prices were the main reason for the 50% reduction in Adjusted EBITDA to US$571 million compared to 1H15, mitigated somewhat by the continued delivery of cost efficiencies/savings and foreign exchange benefits from the stronger US dollar.
Total coal production was reported to be 58.8 million t for 1H16 – 9.9 million t (14%) lower than in 1H15, mainly due to the partclosure of the Optimum Coal division, before it being placed into business rescue in 3Q15.
Australian metallurgical coal production totalled 2 million t – a decrease of 0.7 million t (26%) compared to 1H15, reflecting geological issues at Oaky Creek and production at Tahmoor temporarily delayed by longwall preparatory work.
Total Australian thermal and semi-soft coal came in at 29.5 million t – an increase of 1.8 million t (6%) from 1H15, a period in which, poor ground conditions at Bulga Underground and a longwall move at Ulan West impacted volumes.
Glencore’s South African thermal coal production finished at 14.1 million t – 8.2 million tonnes (37%) lower than 1H15, mainly due to the suspension of certain production within Optimum Coal and the closures of the Middelkraal and South Witbank mines.
Prodeco’s production for 1H16 was 8.3 million t – 1.8 million t (18%) lower than than the same half in 2015, primarily due to volumes being proactively reduced in response to market conditions.
Attributable production from Cerrejón totalled 4.9 million t and was 1 million t (17%) lower than 1H15, mainly due to environmental restrictions introduced to improve the management of dust emissions and unusually heavy rainfall in May and June.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
The US Energy Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability has announced a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for joint research on smart grid and energy storage under the US–India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research (PACE-R).
The Energy Department (DOE) and the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) are each committing US$1.5 million/yr for five years to the expanded research effort, subject to congressional appropriations. The US and Indian private sectors will match the respective government commitments, resulting in a combined US$30 million public-private research investment over the next five years.
“Smart grid and storage technology will transform how we produce and consume electricity, which has the potential to decrease carbon pollution by scaling up renewable energy deployment,” said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “Working collaboratively with India will accelerate solutions to drive down technology costs and improve grid resilience and reliability in both countries.”
In 2009, the US and India launched the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE) to support research and deployment of clean energy technologies. PACE is the core mechanism of bilateral energy R&D collaboration between the US and India. Since its launch, the countries have agreed to expand the initiative, which has three main areas of activity: Research (PACE-R), Deployment (PACE-D) and Access (PEACE).
In 2012, DOE and MST committed to jointly funding PACE-R with a combined US$50 million in government funding over five years to launch three initial research consortia, focusing on solar energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and next-generation biofuels.
This newly announced FOA provides resources for a fourth consortium under PACE-R that will focus on smart grid and energy storage for grid applications. The new consortium will enable counterparts in the US and India to leverage the technological research capabilities of both countries. The new consortium will be officially established when an award selection is made – anticipated in 2017.
A majority of American voters support the use of coal as part of a diverse mix of energy resources, according to national polling released by the National Mining Association (NMA).
With arguments on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) just weeks away, the poll, conducted 3-5 August, found that nearly seven in 10 voters support a continued mix of resources that includes coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable sources, with just 15% opposing (19% did not answer).
“The numbers are clear: Americans expect reliable and affordable energy, powered by a diverse mix of energy sources including coal, natural gas, nuclear power, oil and renewable sources,” said Hal Quinn, NMA’s president and CEO. “The CPP would block that choice by unlawfully restructuring our entire energy grid to reduce an affordable energy option and inevitably raise energy prices for all Americans.”
Poll finding: Nearly seven in 10 voters support a mix of coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable power sources to ensure reliability and lower costs, with just 15% opposing (19% did not answer).
Fact about CPP: The EPA’s own estimates forecast that the CPP will force the retirement of 56 coal-fired power plants from 2016–2018—plants that used 55.3 million t of coal in 2014—limiting the ability to rely on coal for the diversification that allows price increases in any one fuel to be offset by another.
Poll finding: When asked about their energy concerns, American voters are most concerned about costs, with dependence on foreign resources and environmental impacts following.
Fact about CPP: If CPP is implemented, the typical annual household electricity bills in 2020 will be more than a third higher than they were in 2012. At the same time, climate change benefits will be virtually unmeasurable, with global temperatures reduced by just 0.016 degree Fahrenheit over the next century.
Poll finding: 87% of Americans think their electricity costs, which today come from a mix that includes 34% coal, are either “just right” (46%) or “too high” (41%).
Fact about CPP: Currently Americans save an estimated US$93 billion in electricity costs annually through the diverse power grid that is anchored by coal. Under the CPP, however, more than 40 states will face double-digit increases in the cost of electricity, with the CPP increasing wholesale electricity prices by US$214 billion, and an additional US$64 billion for the construction of replacement generating capacity.
Poll finding: Seven in 10 voters, regardless of party affiliation, support federal investment in the development of technologies that will continue to make coal-powered energy cleaner.
Fact about CPP: While ignored by the CPP, clean coal technologies are making combustion of coal more efficient, achieving a more than 90% reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide over the last few decades. Ongoing advancements in high efficiency, low emission (HELE) coal technologies and carbon capture and storage (CCS) hold significant promise for the future. These advances in technology will slow or vanish without a durable coal-based generation capacity.
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison recently submitted a request to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) to recover costs for environmental control projects that support the long-term operation of Harrison and Fort Martin coal-fired power plants.
As part of FirstEnergy’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, the company is making emissions control investments at Harrison and Fort Martin that allow the plants to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. These investments will allow the plants to continue generating low-emitting and affordable electricity, providing jobs, and contributing significant tax income to surrounding communities.
Earlier this year, the West Virginia legislature authorised the PSC to approve coal-fired boiler modernisation and improvement plans that meet requirements for cost-effectiveness and necessity. The new legislation encourages utilities to take proactive measures to upgrade coal-fired power plants in order to support West Virginia’s coal industry while helping to ensure reliable electricity generation remains in the state.
The modernisation and improvement plan (MIP) will help Harrison and Fort Martin achieve ongoing compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) and Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) II requirements. To meet these requirements, 18 projects are planned or underway, including improving electro-static precipitators, installing technology to control mercury and other emissions, improving existing fluegas desulfurisation equipment, enhancing continuous emission monitoring, tuning boilers, and improving controls and the selective catalytic reduction system.
If approved, the US$6.9 million annual revenue increase would amount to a US$0.55 increase in the average residential customer’s bill beginning 1 May 2017.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Rio Tinto’s Mount Thorley Warkworth coal mine has planted 8000 seedlings this year as part of a significant regeneration programme to increase the area of the critically endangered Warkworth Sands Woodlands ecological community in the Hunter Valley, Australia.
Mount Thorley Warkworth has committed to an intensive long-term programme that will run until at least 2030, to protect 157 ha. of Warkworth Sands Woodlands and regenerate 235 ha of Warkworth Sands grasslands.
Toolijooa, leading environmental restoration experts, have recently been awarded a four year contract to continue their work on the project, which started in 2014. This work includes planting trees in the grasslands and controlling weeds across the entire area to promote natural regeneration.
Project Manager Adam Cavallaro said: “The focus of this regeneration program is planting trees, shrubs and ground covers across areas of grasslands, which have previously been cleared and used for farming, to return them to Warkworth Sands Woodlands. We have a wealth of experience in large-scale bush regeneration and are bringing proven techniques to help restore this unique vegetation community where plants commonly found along the coast grow on ancient sand dunes up to 100 km inland.”
“A team of ecological restoration professionals carried out plantings across more than 50 ha. of land this year and we are planning to plant twice as much again in 2017,” he continued.
Rio Tinto Principal Advisor Offsets Nel Byatt commented: “Research shows that Warkworth Sands Woodlands can regenerate by itself if we simply stop impacts such as grazing. Areas that are severely degraded can benefit from a helping hand, so in this early phase of regeneration we are focused on planting seedlings.
“This is a long-term process, where over coming years these seedlings will develop into a canopy that will shelter the surrounding areas to control weeds and allow native understorey plants regenerate, Byatt added. “Even though we’ve had some dryer than usual conditions in recent years, the early planting results are encouraging.
“We’re taking the learnings from each year’s plantings and making adjustments to the techniques to respond to the climate and environment in this location, to make sure we get the best results in years to come. This is done by engaging qualified ecologist to conduct monitoring every two year to measure growth and diversity, as well as annual photo monitoring,” he concluded.
The land being protected and restored is located in two Biodiversity Areas outside the mining area at Mount Thorley Warkworth and will complement around 236 ha. of other Warkworth Sands Woodlands in the region.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
Oilgear will be showing its newly developed range of variable speed pumps at Electra Mining Africa 2016 in the Expo Centre Nasrec, Johannesburg (12 – 16 September). Electra Mining is South Africa’s biggest mining, industrial, electrical and power generation exhibition.
Neil English, from the Oilgear UK headquarters in Leeds, will be flying out to support local company Turnkey Hydraulics on their Electra mining stand, F19 in Hall 5.
“Oilgear has long been recognised as a leader in variable displacement pumps and has recently invested heavily to develop the new range and to automate production,” explained Mr English. “The new pumps are designed to excel in mining and other arduous environments. For instance, we use hydrodynamic bearings rather than ball bearings to reduce cavitation in the hydraulic fluid and the swash plates and associated components are hardened to reduce wear, even when operating with low viscosity fluids.”
“These design details mean the pumps will be ultra reliable, a key requirement in mining industries where repair and servicing are so difficult. Price is also important, so we have to be competitive. We also have to be able to offer high levels of support, including some high performance problem solving.Machinery breakdowns in a mine could have an immediate impact on profitability, so between Oilgear and Turnkey we have a number of solutions on offer. We have become experts at repairs to an extensive range of equipment and systems, and if a part is not available we will endeavour to reverse engineer a replacement very quickly”.
Oilgear manufactures a full range of robust pumps, cartridge valves, subsea pressure control solutions and electrical embedded controllers.
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
Atlas Copco has launched 18 new additions to its open frame diesel-driven centrifugal dewatering pump range. The expanded PAS range is designed for multiple applications, from dewatering on construction and mining sites to solids removal, drainage and even emergency situations involving flooding and shipping. The PAS open-frame system includes both wet and dry prime options, and the modular design allows many different configurations.
The new pumps provide a wide range of sizes, with discharge size ranging from 3 in. to 8 in. and the PAS open-frame system comprises a centrifugal pump, semi-open impeller and a large separator.
The dry prime variants offer rapid priming time and higher capacities. Wet prime pumps are a portable, cost-effective solution, best suited to applications with a consistent flow.
The PAS range benefits from mechanical shaft seals being set in an oil bath, which enables dry running capability without damage. A high efficiency hydraulic end lowers fuel consumption, while a high capacity diaphragm pump supports automatic priming. The semi-open impeller enables the pumps to handle solids of various sizes, without the risk of clogging. Additionally, all components are easy to access, which allows for simple servicing and maintenance.
“The new PAS dewatering pumps meet the five key criteria that Atlas Copco sets for the development of new machines: compactness, versatility, durability, efficiency and simple service,” commented Wim Moors, Vice President of Pumps within Atlas Copco’s Portable Energy division. “They are easy to transport to wherever you need them, tested in the toughest conditions, efficient in fuel consumption and able to cover multiple applications with a focus on modular design.”
The wide range of sizes in the new PAS portfolio starts with the 6.4kW PAS3, a wet prime pump offering a maximum flow capacity of 120 m3/hr, a discharge size of 3 in. and a maximum head of 24.5 m. It is able to handle solids of up to 40 mm.
The dry-prime PAS8 operates at a head of up to 30 m, offers a discharge size of 8ins and handles solids of up to 76 mm with a maximum flow of 630 m3/h. With the combination of models now available, the range offers an efficient solution for any application and flow level between these two points.
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
Hexagon Mining will preview new and improved safety technology at MINExpo in Las Vegas. Attendees can get a first look at the company’s Vehicle Intervention System (VIS), which adds a powerful layer of protection to its highly popular Collision Avoidance System (CAS). Also in the spotlight will be the next generation of FatigueMonitor, computer-vision technology that monitors operators while they drive to prevent fatigue-related incidents.
VIS assists the operator and takes control of a machine in certain situations if the operator does not react appropriately to a CAS warning. Similarly, FatigueMonitor prevents incidents by alerting drivers and management to the early stages of fatigue.
Both solutions are formidable additions to CAS, which is now used in more than 25 000 vehicles in 55 countries.
“Our safety solutions minimise the two major causes of accidents in a mine – blind spots and fatigue,” commented Hexagon Mining President, Hélio Samora. “This integrated technology is essential to our mission of helping companies run safer, more productive mines.”
At Hexagon Mining’s Booth 4133, there will be previews of other new solutions from the company’s operations, planning, and safety suites.
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock
Southern Company has announced an agreement for Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, a subsidiary of China Huaneng Group to join the Carbon Capture International Test Center Network, a global coalition of facilities working to accelerate the research and development of carbon capture technologies.
The National Carbon Capture Center, a US Department of Energy research facility managed and operated by Southern Company, leads and serves as host site for the network.
Located in Beijing, the Clean Energy Research Institute engages in a wide range of clean energy research and development, including carbon capture, utilisation and storage, coal gasification, renewable energy and emissions reduction technologies.
“The addition of the Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute to the network broadens the abilities of Southern Company and its research partners to develop next-generation carbon capture technologies, which are critical for a cleaner energy future,” said Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kimberly S. Greene. “We look forward to working with DOE and network members to continue the development of real solutions that will advance 21st century coal technologies on the international stage.”
Formed in 2012, the International Test Center Network facilitates knowledge sharing among carbon capture test facilities around the world. The National Carbon Capture Center currently chairs and operates the network with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy, a role previously held by Technology Centre Mongstad of Norway.
Located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the center works with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities to evaluate, demonstrate and advance emerging carbon capture technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired and natural gas-fired power generation.
The members of the International Test Center Network are:
Coal production in the financial year to 30 June 2017 (FY2017) at Whitehaven’s Narrabri mine is expected to exceed the record 7.3 million t recorded in FY2016, according to the company’s latest results announcement.
“Production in FY2017 is expected to increase because only one longwall changeout it required,” the company said. “Mining is scheduled to transition to the first 400 m wide panel around the start of the fourth quarter of FY2017.”
Production at Maules Creek will continue to ramp up to an annualised rate of 10.5 million t of ROM coal in the second half of FY2017. The new mine is forecast to produce 9 million t of saleable coal this financial year.
Maules Creek produced 7.3 million t of saleable coal in FY2016 after commercial operations started on 1 July 2015. The mine cost AUS$701 million – AUS$66 million under the initial budget and more than six months ahead of schedule.
Including Whitehaven’s smaller opencast mines – Tarragwonga, Rocglen and Werris Creek – the company’s total FY2017 coal production is expected to be between 21 and 22 million t of saleable coal. The company’s growing production is underpinned by growing demand for its higher-quality coals – particular Narrabri and Maules Creek coals – from its customers in Asia.
“With the restricted availability of these [high-quality] coals in the seaborne market, Whitehaven is well placed to increase the premium it receves for its coals and to grow overall sales from both Maules Creek and Narrabri,” the company said. “It is positive to note that Whitehaven’s customers in Asia are adding more coal-fired power station capacity and are seeking increased tonnages of coal from Whitehaven.”
Edited by Jonathan Rowland.
Carbon Energy has signed a non-binding term sheet with Ascot Energy Pte Ltd (Ascot Energy) to license its keyseam technology and services to develop a modular 30 MW capacity syngas fuelled power project in Indonesia.
Ascot Energy, a Singapore-based clean energy company plans, to become the leading syngas power generation company in Indonesia and South East Asia. It proposes to replicate Carbon Energy’s Bloodwood Creek project, which it believes matches the requirements for its planned projects in Indonesia.
The term sheet outlines a two stage project with the initial design and construction of a single keyseam panel, followed by the development of additional panels sufficient to generate up to 30 MW in capacity.
Ascot Energy is responsible for securing permits and approvals for the project. The granting of these approvals will trigger the commencement of the legally binding licensing and service agreements between the parties in relation to the keyseam technology. Carbon Energy may provide paid services in order to assist Ascot Energy in securing necessary approvals.
Subject to the parties entering into the legally binding licensing and servicing agreements, Carbon Energy will receive the following revenue and royalties as set out in the Term Sheet:
It is estimated to take up to 18 months to secure permits and a further 18 months from then to achieve ignition of the first panel.
Executive Chairman, Chris Rawlings, said: “This agreement recognises that Carbon Energy’s keyseam technology is the preferred way to grow UCG production in a safe and environmentally responsible way.”
Ascot Energy, Managing Director Kevin Garner stated: “There is a clear need for an affordable alternative environmentally sound power source in Indonesia. The Indonesian government recognises the potential of in-situ coal gasification and continues to put in place the framework for project development; however there remains a knowledge gap relating to the technology and environmental management and compliance.”
“In cooperating with Carbon Energy on a coal to syngas to power project, we believe there is an opportunity to bridge this gap. The success and experience gained at Bloodwood Creek project stands to benefit both local industry and the community,” concluded Garner.
Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs
