World Coal Association (WCA)

The World Coal Association (WCA) has welcomed the publication of the report “The Role of Coal for Energy Security in World Regions” by the Coal Industry Advisory Board to the International Energy Agency (CIAB) on the role of coal in energy security. Significant findings from the report include:

1. Coal is widely used across countries and regions to ensure the security of energy supply as measured through affordable energy, broader dependable access for consumers and increased economic competitiveness.
2. There is no trade-off between the in-creased use of renewable energies and the use of coal; instead there is a partnership which is needed to meet global, regional and country level energy requirements now and in the future.
3. The widespread deployment of clean coal technologies, high efficiency low emissions (HELE) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is needed to meet a 2 ˚C climate target.

The report considers how the use of coal contributes to affordable energy prices, and allows broader access to electricity and improved industrial competitiveness of economies in various regions. Coal is found to be a key component of a secure energy supply in all the regions/countries covered.

Applying advanced coal-based technologies, like HELE coal plants and CCS technologies, contributes to improving not only the environmental impacts but also leads to increased security of supply. HELE coal technologies provide significant immediate CO₂ emission reductions and are a key step on the pathway to CCS.

In order to meet the growing global energy demand and to simultaneously reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, a key recommendation from the report is to increase the support for HELE coal-fired plants and CCS technologies. HELE coal technologies provide a source for significant immediate CO₂ emission reduction and are a key first step towards CCS. (WCA/Si.)

The World Coal Association (WCA), London, called for greater investment in cleaner coal technologies, in order to meet growing global energy demand and reduce CO2 emissions. Coal plays a vital role in society by providing over 40 % of global electricity and as an indispensable ingredient in modern infrastructure. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA), Paris, forecasts show that coal use is set to grow by around 17 % in the next twenty years. With 1.3 billion people globally without access to electricity, it is clear all sources of energy will be needed to meet this demand, including coal. Greater investment is needed in cleaner coal technology to meet global energy demand, alleviate energy poverty and minimise CO2 emissions.

Technologies such as high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) coal plants and carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), can make a significant contribution to reducing global CO2 emissions as part of the energy mix. Benjamin Sporton, WCA’s Acting Chief Executive, stated: “The WCA recognises the vital role that all low emission technologies can play and has created a global Platform for Accelerating Coal Efficiency (PACE) to promote adoption of these technologies. PACE’s vision is for the most efficient power plant technology possible to be deployed when coal plants are built. PACE’s objective is to raise the global average efficiency of coal-fired power plants and so minimise CO2 emissions, whilst maintaining legitimate economic development and poverty alleviation efforts.”

Increasing the average efficiency of the global coal fleet from the current level of 33 % to 40 % can be done with off-the-shelf technology that is currently available. This would make a significant contribution to global efforts, saving around 2 Gt of CO2 annually – roughly equivalent to India’s total annual emissions.

Furthermore, CCUS technology is also a reality, as evidenced by the Boundary Dam coalfired power station in Canada. This pioneering project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 mt of CO2 annually, the equivalent to taking more than 250,000 cars off the road each year. Benjamin Sporton stated: “Calls for divestment ignore the global role played by coal and the potential offered by HELE and CCUS technologies. It is essential that responsible investors actively engage with the coal industry. All low emission technologies are needed to meet climate targets. We cannot meet our energy needs, tackle energy poverty and reduce global emissions without utilising all options available to us, including low emissions coal.”

The International Energy Agency has estimated that CCUS could deliver 14 % of cumulative GHG emissions cuts through to 2050 and that climate change action will cost an additional US-$ 4.7 trillion without CCUS. In comparison to other low carbon technologies, CCUS is underfunded. The Global Subsidies Initiative has reported that nuclear and renewable energy projects (excluding hydroelectricity) receive US-$ 45 billion and US-$ 27 billion in public funds respectively every year. In comparison, in the decade since 2005, only US-$ 12.2 billion has been available to fund CCUS demonstration, in total. (WCA)