Give us a break! The coal industry is hardly in crisis, given that in this country new coal mines are opening up all over the joint and we can't dig up and export the stuff fast enough.

Sure there are issues with CO2 and other pollution problems. Until so called clean energy becomes less expensive demand for coal will remain strong.

The evidence should be clear that wind and solar can at best only make a small dent in coal burning. South Australia has nearly 30% wind power because it has 45% gas fired electricity and tolerates high retail power prices. Germany with even bigger renewable energy targets is installing 4.6 GW of coal capacity in 2013, none of it with CCS.

Some might say it was foolish of the coal industry to bet on CCS but without nuclear and with escalating gas prices there is little alternative for baseload power. If we get the same weak 5% CO2 reduction target and cheap EU offsets coal remains a winner in Australia. No matter since India and China will buy whatever we don't use as they only give lip service to carbon restraint. Australia's coal industry should remain strong for another 20 years.

What a muddled article.

Coal is not going away, despite what the greens may want and the wages being paid.

Carbon Capture is probably decades away in terms of commercial reality.

As to the author's "the general public is becoming more and more uneasy about the damage that coal could be doing to the environment."

Gee, I think the word 'could' should be substituted for 'is'.

I think the author is a little confused when it comes to reality.

Maybe a Bex and good ol' cup of tea might settle him down.

Geoff

There are 3 pilot projects in Australia, currently trailing Algae production as a means to reduce Co2. In fact, Tarong power is trialling companion algae production as a means to offset total Carbon production.
This approach is possible and eminently affordable right now.
Under optimised conditions, algae absorb 2.5 times their bodyweight in Co2 emission and quite literally double that bodyweight every 24 hours.
Some algae are up to 60% oil, and some types naturally produce bio-diesel or equally ready to use unrefined, jet fuel!
Daily doubling bodyweight and production capacity, literally means the hundred tons of almost ready to use bio-diesel or alternative jet fuel, you may have on Monday, in your production tanks? Could be two hundred tons on Tuesday, four hundred on Wednesday, eight hundred Thursday, over one and a half thousand on Friday, and three thousand tons plus by Saturday!
Over thirty thousand tons in a further fortnight, and over three hundred thousand tons, a further fortnight out!
Eventually and not too far ahead in time, all the emission of (a particular) power plant(s), would not only be completely offset, but become carbon negative!
Now that's what I call clean coal!
The additional profits from the endlessly sustainable oil production as an offside, would more than repay any necessary outlays, and all but compel, [on simple economic grounds or compelling commercial imperatives,] all offshore coal-fired power producers to follow suit.
This approach also eventually eliminates the need for us to import foreign fuel.
Given our coal-fired power stations produce around half our current emission; then converting that same emission into bio-fuel, (diesel/jet fuel). Would allow us to half our total emission in the first outcome, replace most fuel imports as the second; and go to a carbon neutral economy over time.
And given the total production/absorption capacities of selected algae, not very much time!
Rhrosty.

Everald,

Forgive me for cutting and pasting one of my previous posts on the subject, but I tire of communicating with those who send us massages from another planet.

Your planet seems to be the one designated AUDABTF 2013. (All Upside Down And Back To Front).

The reality is there is no such thing as clean coal, few are now investing in the search for it and meanwhile the world is burning anything they can get their hands on whilst paying a heavy price for ruinous investment in renewables.

“The EU seems to be going through schizophrenia. The once hallowed tree planting for CO2 mitigation has been turned on its head with the UK’s announcement that they are converting five power stations to burn wood chip, WTF?

Angela Merkel is burning more coal; particularly lignite from her mining interests in the former East Germany, hard coal imports are up 25%, EU industry is moving off shore to low cost energy markets, VW’s new plant will be in the USA? EU emissions certificates have been declared “Junk Bond” status, energy poverty is rife, green energy tariffs and subsidies are being reduced or removed and German engineering giant Siemens has confirmed it is completely winding down its solar business. The involvement ended in a disaster, costing Siemens about one billion Euros”.

All going quite nicely on our planet Earth it seems?

Message to planet AUDABTF 2013 ends.

"We create clean coal or the industry dies."

Too late Everald - commercial CCS hasn't materialised. And we can't wait.

Also Google: "Why coal imports are adding to India’s energy security problems". Even India is beginning to realise the costs of coal are too high.