Pre-combustion emissions from coal and gas should be studied by IEA
Published by Jonathan Rowland,
Editor
World Coal,
The International Energy Agency (IEA) should produce official comparisons of pre-combustion CO2 emissions for both coal and gas, according to Andrea Clavarino, President of the Italian Coal Association (Assocarboni), to “correct the media message the coal is a dirtier fuel”.
According to Clavarino, a number of scientific studies looking at lifecycle emissions of coal and natural gas have shown that natural gas has “similar, if not higher, CO2 or methane emissions than coal, when taking into account […] extraction, venting and transmission”.
Clavarino cited studies by Robert Howarth of Cornell, Frank Clemente of Penn State University and Nick Cowern of Newcastle University as having “widely demonstrated that shale gas and fracking have serious environmental consequences.”
“Academic researches showed that shale gas generates, especially in its extraction, higher CO2 levels than coal,” said Assocarboni in a statement. “Lawmakers must keep these findings in consideration in the definition of a country’s energy policies.”
In order to aid policymakers in this area, the IEA should produce official studies that account for pre-combustion emissions, Clavarino argued.
“Over the last decades, the coal industry has made huge steps towards environmental sustainability. Today coal guarantees cost effectiveness and energy security and it is therefore the optimal fuel to accompany the growth of renewables on the path of climate change mitigation”, Clavarino concluded.
In addition to acting as President of Assocarboni, Clavarino is Chairman and CEO of Coeclerici Logistics.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/28112016/pre-combustion-emissions-from-coal-and-gas-should-be-studied-by-iea/
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