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Coal in China

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Entrance to a small coal mine in China.
A coal shipment underway in China.
An operating power plant in China.

The People's Republic of China is the largest consumer of coal in the world,[1] and is about to become the largest user of coal-derived electicity, getting 1.95 trillion kilowatt-hours per year, or 68.7% of its electricity from coal as of 2006 (compared to 1.99 trillion kilowatt-hours per year, or 49% for the US).[2] [3] Hydroelectric power supplied another 20.7% of China's electricity needs in 2006. With approximately 13 percent of the world's proven reserves, China has enough coal to sustain its economic growth for a century or more even though demand is currently outpacing production.[4] China's coal mining industry is the deadliest in the world and has the world's worst safety record[5] where an average of 13 people die every day in the coal pits, compared to 30 per year for coal power in the United States.[6] Coal production rose 8.1% in 2006 over the previous year, reaching 2.38 billion tons, and the nation's largest coal enterprises saw their profits exceed 67 billion yuan, or $8.75 billion.[7]

While China boasts the greatest use of coal power, it is 3rd in the world in terms of total coal reserves behind the United States and Russia. Most reserves are located in the north and north-west of the country, which poses a large logistical problem for supplying electricity to the more heavily populated coastal areas.[3] Coal power is managed by the State Power Grid Corporation.

China's installed coal-based electrical capacity was 484 GW, or 77% of the total electrical capacity, in 2006.[8] The dominant technology in the country is coal pulverization in lieu of the more advanced and preferred coal gasification. China's move to a more open economy in the 1990s is cited as a reason for this, where the more immediately lucrative pulverization technology was favored by businesses. There are plans in place for an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) type plant by 2010.[9] Furthermore, less than 15% of plants have desulphurization systems.[10]

==Coal production== AUSTIN PALS THE MAN

Coal for domestic use being transported by use of a bike

China is the largest coal producer in the world.[11] Northern China, especially Shanxi Province, contains most of China's easily accessible coal. Coal from southern mines tends to be higher in sulfur and ash, and therefore unsuitable for many applications.[11]

Year Coal Production (Billion short tons)
2000 1.00
2001 1.11
2002 1.42
2003 1.61
2004 2.00
2005 2.19
2006 2.38
2007 2.62
2008 2.76 (projected)

Demand for coal in China continues to increase, and it is estimated that it will be around 3.06 billion tons in 2010. Furthermore, it is expected that demand will soon exceed production due to factors such as a government crackdown on mines that are unsafe, polluting, or wasteful. Some may also be shut down for the 2008 Summer Olympics.[12]

On July 6, 2008 in central and northern China, 2.5 % of the nations coal plants (58 units or 14,020 MW of capacity) had to shut down due to coal shortages. This forced local governments to limit electricity consumption and issue blackout warnings. The shortage is somewhat attributed to the closing of small dangerous coal mines.[13]

==Coal consumption== AUSTIN IS AWSOME In 2004, China consumed 1.9 billion metric tons of coal, representing more than one third of the world total and a 46% increase since 2002. Coal consumption has been on the rise in China over the last five years, reversing the decline seen from 1997 to 2000.[11] Coal as a percentage of the overall energy mix, reflected by China's consumption of coal (its main source of power), dropped slightly from 76.2% in 1990 to 69.7% in 2006.

With investment in the coal industry rising at an annual rate of 50 percent in recent years, China will retain its current position as the leading global consumer of coal, even as it endeavors to diversify.

China's Coal Crisis

In October 2008, The True Cost of Coal, a report published by Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and The Energy Foundation, said that by-products of coal burning such as water pollution, air pollution and human costs such as mining deaths cost China an additional 1.7 trillion yuan, or more than 7% of annual GDP.

The report was carried in all across news networks in Mainland China, Hong Kong and internationally. The report pointed out that Coal makes up 70% of China's energy needs, this is compared with a world average of 40%.

Top economists were consulted in the writing of the report and it was recommended that China increase the price of coal by 23% to reflect the true costs of China's reliance on Coal.

Carbon footprint

See also: Debate over China's economic responsibilities for climate change mitigation

In 2001 the carbon emissions from coal use in China made up about 10% of the world total CO2 emissions at the time.[14] By 2004 this fraction rose to 14%.[15] It is believed that a continued increase in coal power in China may undermine international initiatives to decrease carbon emissions such as the Kyoto Protocol, which called for a decrease of 483 million tons by 2012. In the same time frame, it is expected that coal plants in China will have increased CO2 emissions by 1,926 million tons - over 4 times the proposed reduction.[16]

Fossil Fuel-related CO2 Emissions in China, 1998-2004 (in millions of metric tons of CO2)
  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
CO2 from coal 2,363 2,287 2,339 2,472 2,518 2,731 3,809
CO2 from natural gas 47 51 57 64 69 72 83
CO2 from petroleum 531 566 636 653 686 737 816
Total CO2 from all fossil fuels 2,940 2,905 3,033 3,190 3,273 3,541 4,707
Source: DOE/EIA[15]

China's effort to reduce emissions

China's first coal-fired power station employing carbon capture and storage is planned to begin operations in 2009 at Tianjin near Beijing. The $5,7bn 650MW plant will be a joint venture between a group of state-owned enterprises and Peabody Energy.[17]

Coal mine fires

It is estimated that coal mine fires in China burn about 200 million tons of coal each year. Small illegal fires are frequent in the northern region of Xinjiang. Local miners may use abandoned mines for shelter and intentionally set such fires for heat. One study estimates that this translates into 360 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is not included in the previous emissions figures.[18]

International trade

China is about to become a net importer of coal this year.[19] In 2006, its exports exceeded imports by 25.1 million tons, but only by 2 million tons in 2007. This is significantly lower than the 90 million ton net exports in 2001.

Imports

  • Vietnam is the largest supplier of coal to China at 24.6 million tonnes for 2007.[19]
  • Australia exported 4.52 million tonnes for 2007.[19]

Deaths

While not directly attributable, many more deaths are resultant from dangerous emissions from coal plants. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), linked to exposure to fine particulates, SO2, and cigarette smoke among other factors, accounted for 26% of all deaths in China in 1988.[20]

Many direct deaths happen in coal mining and processing. In 2007, 1,084 out of the 3,770 workers who died were from gas blasts. Small mines (comprising 90% of all mines) are known to have far higher death rates, and the government of China has banned new coal mines with a high gas danger and a capacity below 300,000 tons in an effort to reduce deaths a further 20% by 2010. The government has also vowed to close 4,000 small mines to improve industry safety.[21]

2005

  • On February 14, 2005 Over 214 miners were killed in the 2005 Sunjiawan mine disaster
  • On March 19, 2005 an explosion at the Xishui Colliery and neighboring Kangjiayao coal mines killed 72.[22]
  • On July 11, 2005 an explosion at the Shenlong mine killed 83.[22]
  • On November 27, 2005 171 miners were killed by a blast in the Heilongjiang providence. The mine owner (plus 5 others) was later tried in court for negligence and sentenced to 6 years in prison.[23]

2006

  • On February 1, 2006 the Sihe coal mine in Shanxi killed 23 miners.[22]
  • On May 18, 2006 an Induation disaster at the Xinjing coal mine in the Shanxi providence killed 56 miners.[22]
  • On July 15, 2006 at the Linjiazhuang coal mine in Shanxi an explosion killed 50 people with seven more missing.[22]
  • On November 5, 2006 at the Jiaojiazhai coal mine in Shanxi an explosion killed 40 with seven more missing.[22]

2007

  • In March 2007, over 100 were killed in 8 tragedies.[24]
  • In August 2007, 181 miners died when heavy rains flooded two mines in eastern Shandong province.[25]
  • A coal mine gas leak on November 11, 2007 had at least 35 confirmed deaths.[26]
  • On December 6, 2007 105 workers died in a mine blast.[6]

Unofficial estimates often estimate death tolls at twice the official number reported by the government.[27] Since 1949 over 250,000 coal mining deaths have been recorded.[7] However, since 2002, the death toll gradually decreases while the coal production nearly doubles in the same period.

By year

A Chinese coal miner at the Jin Hua Gong Mine
Year Number of accidents Deaths
2000 2,863 5,798
2001 3,082 5,670
2002 4,344 6,995
2003 4,143 6,434
2004 3,639 6,027
2005 3,341 5,986
2006 2,945 4,746
2007 3,770

Source: State Administration of Work Safety[28]

Open-pit coal mine

China's largest open-pit coal mine in Haerwusu in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region started production on 2008-10-20, to be operated by Shenhua Group. Its estimated coal output was forecast at 7 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2008. With a designed annual capacity of 20 million tonnes of crude coal, it is scheduled to run 79 years. Its coal reserves total about 1.73 billion tonnes. It is rich in low-sulfur steam coal.[29]

See also

Other countries

References

  1. ^ NationMaster.com. Energy Statistics > Coal consumption (most recent) by country. Accessed 07/01/08.
    Gives:
    China: 1,310,000,000 Billion short tons of coal consumed per year
    United States: 1,060,000,000 (same units)
  2. ^ See Wikipedia article on chinese Economy
  3. ^ a b Uranium Information Centre. Nuclear power in China.
  4. ^ Peter Fairley, Technology Review. Part I: China's Coal Future, January 5, 2007.
  5. ^ BBC News. China orders bosses down mines. 7 November 2005.
  6. ^ a b BBC News. 105 die in China mine explosion. December 7, 2007.
  7. ^ a b International Herald Tribune. Chinese coal industry in need of a helping hand
  8. ^ "Capacity of China's straw-fueled power plants reaches 1.2 mln kw". Xinhua. 2007-01-16. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  9. ^ Technology Review. Part II: China's Coal Future, To prevent massive pollution and slow its growing contribution to global warming, China will need to make advanced coal technology work on an unprecedented scale.
  10. ^ Wikinvest:China's Coal Power Pollution.
  11. ^ a b c "Country analysis briefs: China". Energy Information Administration. August, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ The Age. China coal shortage to continue. January 16, 2008.
  13. ^ Bloomberg. China Shuts More Coal Power Plants; Warns on Shortage (Update1). June 8, 2008.
  14. ^ EIA data, via Info Please.
  15. ^ a b "Country analysis briefs: China". Energy Information Administration. August, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ The Christian Science Monitor. New coal plants bury 'Kyoto'. December 23, 2004.
  17. ^ "China's first carbon capture & storage plant to be operational by 2009". Power Engineering International. 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2008-01-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Mines and Communities Website. A Burning Issue. February 14, 2003.
  19. ^ a b c FT.com / Asia-Pacific / China - Australia loses market share in China’s coal
  20. ^ China and Coal.
  21. ^ Xinhua. China to ban small coal mines for improving pit safety record. August 15, 2008.
  22. ^ a b c d e f China mine disasters
  23. ^ BBC News. China jails five over mine blast.
  24. ^ International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions. Rash of China Coal Mine Deaths Occur in March. 26 March 2007.
  25. ^ USA Today. Death toll rises to 70 in China coal mine blast.
  26. ^ Terra Daily. China coal mine death toll rises to 35. November 11, 2007.
  27. ^ World Socialist Website. China’s coal mining deaths spiral. August 3, 2002.
  28. ^ Mines and Communities Website. China and US coal disasters. 7th January 2006.
  29. ^ xinhuanet
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