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WCA promotes coal’s role in meeting global energy

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World Coal,


The World Coal Association (WCA) has called on the World Bank to consider the key role of coal in bringing affordable, reliable electricity to developing and emerging economies particularly across Asia.

Benjamin Sporton, WCA CEO, explained: “China is the most obvious example of a country that has developed rapidly using coal. Over the past three decades, the country has connected 99% of its population to the grid and seen its economy grow at an astonishing rate. None of this development would have been possible without the use of coal. In fact, if you take China out of the equation, global poverty has barely improved over the past three decades.”

Sporton continued: “Rather than wishing away fossil fuels, the World Bank should be committing to supporting the wider deployment of 21st Century coal technology – high-efficiency, low-emissions power generation and carbon capture, use and storage. High-efficiency, low-emissions (HELE) technologies and carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) have the potential to dramatically reduce emissions from coal-fired power generation, while still meeting the demand for coal. Raising the average efficiency of the global coal fleet from the current 33% to 40% would save 2 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions – equivalent to India’s annual CO2 emissions or running the Kyoto Protocol three times over.”

Sporton gave importance to all sources of energy in meeting global demand. He explained renewables are key in providing off-grid electricity to domestic users yet he concluded, “it is only by treating climate and development objectives as integrated priorities that we will successfully overcome these global challenges.”

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/31072015/coal-role-in-meeting-global-energy-to-be-recognised-2661/

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