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Coal 2020
…trends affected coal-fired power generation in 2019: weak electricity demand growth and low natural gas prices. Global electricity generation grew 1% in 2019, the lowest rate since 2009 and almost one-third of the average annual increase since then. Electricity generated from renewables increased in 2019, squeezing coal and gas generation. Expanding LNG supply put pressure on natural gas prices, which fell by two‑thirds in Europe from January to September 2019. In the United States, where natual gas is generally cheap, prices in 2019 were 30% lower on average than the previous year. This spurred significant coal-to-gas…
- Demand
- Supply
- Trade
- Prices and costs
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Coal Mine Methane in China: A Budding Asset with the Potential to Bloom
Coal Mine Methane in China: A Budding Asset with the Potential to Bloom An Assessment of Technology, Policy and Financial Issues Relating to coal mine methane in the People's Republic of China, based on interviews conducted at coal mines in Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces.
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Coal in the Energy Supply of China
…its coal industry faces major challenges of rationalisation and structural reform. Coal has been significantly affected by the recent slow-down in the Chinese economy. These pressures have provoked a major overhaul of the State coal administration, radical cuts in production, the restructuring of key state-owned coal mines and the planned closure of over 25,000 small mines. Coal will, however, remain the dominant energy source in China for the foreseeable future despite the strenuous efforts of the authorities to diversify the energy mix. The environmental consequences of continued heavy use of coal raise important issues not just for…
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Cleaner Coal in China
…mines. Environmental degradation is a real and pressing problem at all stages of coal production, supply and use. Adding to these burdens, emissions of CO2 are of concern to the Chinese government as it embarks on its own climate protection strategy. Technology solutions are already transforming the way coal is used in China and elsewhere. This study explores the context in which the development and deployment of these technologies can be accelerated. Providing a large amount of new data, it describes in detail the situation in China as well as the experiences of other countries in making coal cleaner. Above…
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Cleaner Coal in China
…mines. Environmental degradation is a real and pressing problem at all stages of coal production, supply and use. Adding to these burdens, emissions of carbon dioxide are of concern to the Chinese government as it embarks on its own climate protection strategy.
Technology solutions are already transforming the way coal is used in China and elsewhere. This study explores the context in which the development and deployment of these technologies can be accelerated. Providing a large amount of new data, it describes in detail the situation in China as well as the experiences of other countries in making coal cleaner… -
China’s Emissions Trading Scheme
…coal- and gas-fired power plants. It will allocate allowances (also known as permits), based on the plant’s generation output, with a different benchmark for each fuel and technology. China’s ETS, set to expand to seven other sectors, will be the world’s largest by far, covering one-seventh of global CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion.
The initial years of operation will be crucial to test the ETS’s design and establish trust. Given the dominance of coal power in China’s power sector and in its overall CO2 emissions, how the country’s fleet of coal… -
China Power System Transformation
…rapid uptake of variable generation resources, notably wind and solar power. “Power system transformation” describes the processes that facilitate and manage changes in the power sector in response to these novel trends.Power system flexibility – a concept that goes beyond power plant flexibility – is the crucial element for a successful transformation of the power system at growing proportions of wind and solar power in China. Traditionally, flexibility has been associated with the more flexible operation of coal power plants in China. However, the concept of power system flexibility is much broader. Apart from power plants, it can be provided by…
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Ready for CCS Retrofit
…installed coal-fired power capacity, representing potential emissions of 85 billion tonnes of CO2 if these plants continue to operate at current levels. Meanwhile under the global climate negotiations, China has committed to peaking its CO2 emissions by 2030. The enduring emissions from China’s coal-fired power plants hence present a significant challenge to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A partial solution can be found in retrofitting existing coal-fired power stations with carbon capture and storage (CCS), which could reduce the emissions rate by around 85%. This analysis shows that over 300 gigawatts of existing coal-fired…
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The Role of Gas in Today's Energy Transitions
World Energy Outlook special report This World Energy Outlook special report examines the role of fuel switching, primarily from coal to natural gas, to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants. Four case studies, covering the United States, the European Union, the People’s Republic of China, and India, reveal the various opportunities, hurdles and limits of fuel switching as a way to address environmental challenges. Natural gas is one of the mainstays of global energy. Where it replaces more polluting fuels, it improves air quality and limits emissions of carbon dioxide. In this analysis, we explore how widespread…
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Partner Country Series - Gas Pricing: China’s Challenges and IEA Experience
Partner Country Series - Gas Pricing: China’s Challenges and IEA Experience In line with its aim to meet growing energy demand while shifting away from coal, the People's Republic of China set an ambitious goal of doubling its use of natural gas from 2011 levels by 2015. Prospects as of 2012 were good for significant new supplies – both domestic and imported, conventional and unconventional – to come online in the medium term, but notable challenges remained, particularly concerning gas pricing and the institutional and regulatory landscape. While China’s circumstances are, in many respects unique, some current issues are similar…