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Coal power in China
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The People's Republic of China is the largest consumer of coal in the world,Gives:
China: 1,310,000,000 Billion short tons of coal consumed per year
United States: 1,060,000,000 (same units) 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).
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The People's Republic of China is the largest consumer of coal in the world,Gives:
China: 1,310,000,000 Billion short tons of coal consumed per year
United States: 1,060,000,000 (same units) 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). 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. China's coal mining industry is the deadliest in the world and has the world's worst safety record 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. 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.
While China boasts the greatest use of coal power, it is third 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. 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. 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. Furthermore, less than 15% of plants have desulphurization systems.
Coal production
China is the largest coal producer in the world. 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.
| Year | Coal Production (Billion short tons) |
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| 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.
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.
Coal consumption
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. 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
In 2001 the carbon emissions from coal use in China made up about 10% of the world total CO2 emissions at the time. By 2004 this fraction rose to 14%. 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.
Fossil Fuel-related CO2 Emissions in China, 1998-2004 (in millions of metric tons of CO2) | | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
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| 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 |
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.
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.
International trade
China is about to become a net importer of coal this year. 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.
- Australia exported 4.52 million tonnes for 2007 by.
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. A report by the World Bank in cooperation with the Chinese government found that about 750,000 people die prematurely in China each year from air pollution. Later, the government asked the researchers to soften the conclusions.
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.
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.
- On July 11, 2005 an explosion at the Shenlong mine killed 83.
- 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.
2006
- On February 1, 2006 the Sihe coal mine in Shanxi killed 23 miners.
- On May 18, 2006 an Induation disaster at the Xinjing coal mine in the Shanxi providence killed 56 miners.
- On July 15, 2006 at the Linjiazhuang coal mine in Shanxi an explosion killed 50 people with seven more missing.
- On November 5, 2006 at the Jiaojiazhai coal mine in Shanxi an explosion killed 40 with seven more missing.
2007
- In March 2007, over 100 were killed in 8 tragedies.
- In August 2007, 181 miners died when heavy rains flooded two mines in eastern Shandong province.
- A coal mine gas leak on November 11, 2007 had at least 35 confirmed deaths.
- On December 6, 2007 105 workers died in a mine blast.
Unofficial estimates often estimate death tolls at twice the official number reported by the government. Since 1949 over 250,000 coal mining deaths have been recorded. However, since 2002, the death toll gradually decreases while the coal production nearly doubles in the same period.
By year
| Year | Number of accidents | Deaths |
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| 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
Open-pit coal mine
China's largest open-pit coal mine in Haerwusu in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region started production on the 20th of October 2008, 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.
See also
Other countries
External links
- The True Cost of Coal:
- Peter Fairley, Technology Review. , January 5, 2007.
- Peter Fairley, Technology Review. , January 5, 2007.
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