Member Info for Pappiklon

Not me

Just a share price drifting down on little volume, when we get some news flow hopefully it will go in the other direction faster than Bezos rocket, live in hope !

So looking at the figures in the Dhakka Tribune, if you add up whats still going to be built along with what we know is the current generation from coal and deduct from Nasruls' stated 12000MW, you are left with over 4000MW coming from where?
Could it be we are finally going to get the green light ?

New York Times
The group, including President Biden, did not reach agreement on a timeline to eliminate the use of coal for generating electric power.

BBC Breaking News:
BBC told no new countries will be added to the green list

Proposed Placing, subscription and open offer RNS incoming, cant open on LSE but its there

It is often discussed about carbon neutral situation. That means, the amount of carbon is being released is absorbed by the natural environment. There are technologies to achieve this. We would also be carbon neutral and at the same time will make the right fuel mix.
We are talking about 100 special economic zones. If we cannot ensure energy and water at an affordable and competitive price, we would not be able to attract investment.
Power generation has been increased significantly, from 5,000MW to 20,000MW since 2009. We need to generate 40,000 to 60,000MW in the future. And it cannot be achieved without coal. The USA plans to be carbon neutral by 2035; does it mean they will move completely away from coal? Not that at all. Therefore, we must go for the right fuel mix eyeing on coal.
Well worth reading the whole article, a lot of other good stuff in the magazine too.

https://online.fliphtml5.com/qklxk/xjpe/?1618774537760#p=25

Azad has a deep knowledge of Bangladesh's Energy and Power Sector! Therefore, it's incredibly significant to see him coming out in support of the coal sector, in a webinar that promoted open pit mine development of Bangladesh's coal sector to ensure affordable energy and a strategic mix of resources. Phulbari Coal Project was well promoted and it was particularly satisfying to see Azad also coming to the realistic conclusion that Bangladesh is an insignificant CO2 emitter, even if it added 6+ more large coal power stations!

Energy and Power Magazine, lot of positivity in there for utilising 'own coal' If the link doesn't open at right page its Page 25.

https://online.fliphtml5.com/qklxk/xjpe/?1618774537760#p=25

Chief Guest at this webinar was Abdul Kalam Azad who was Bangladesh’s former Power Secretary, then Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, then Prime Minister’s Principal Coordinator Sustainable Development Goals and more recently appointed as Bangladesh’s Special Envoy of Bangladesh CVF (Climate Vulnerable Forum) who is clearly stating the case for BD's use of own coal, very positive, time to get that submission in?

Abul Kalam Azad, former Principal Secretary and former Power Secretary, said the question is whether we need coal-based power generation and if we do, whether we should use local coal and what should be the share in the power generation mix. And what are the challenges involved with the coal-based power? Whether local coal to be extracted or not. The logic against coal uses is it causes carbon emission. How much contribution do we have to carbon emission? Out of total global emission, our contribution is only 1/1000; 0.33%. If we set up 5-7 more coal-based power plants, the contribution to global carbon emission will be very negligible; the emission reduction effort will also have negligible impacts. Where China, the USA, India, Japan, and Brazil are making a huge amount of carbon emission, then Bangladesh’s contribution does not make any impact on the global carbon emission level.
It would not be wise to be dependent on a single fuel for power generation. We have to make the right mix of fuel. Power has to be made available at affordable costs and there needs to be competitiveness. If underground mining of coal costs US$160 per tonne and if import cost is lower, then why we will go for mining. But if we go for open-cut mining, the costs will be much lower and there is the opportunity for open-cut mining here. The responsibility of technical persons and bureaucrats is to place logical information before political leaders in a simple way for their understanding. So far, we have failed to convince the political leaders. So, we must speak in the language that is fit to make the political leaders understand. I request the experts, let’s work in that line.
Now the question is whether we need local coal or not. What is stated here, will we leave our coal resource of 300 billion dollars’ worth, equivalent to the national budget beneath the ground? Then comes the question of extraction. We need to make the right balance of fuel mix and if we do that and bring the share of coal-based power even down from 35% to 25%, still we need to extract our local coal. Because here the question comes how much coal will be required to feed 25% of coal-based power and whether we can transport this huge amount of coal. It is often discussed about carbon neutral situation. That means, the amount of carbon is being released is absorbed by the natural environment.

Not to mention death rates by obesity

UK 184 per 100,000
USA 152.49 per 100,000

The U.K. has the third-highest death rate in the world (184 deaths per 100,000 population) and the fourth-highest obesity rate with 63.7% of adults classifying as overweight, closely followed by the U.S., which has 152.49 deaths per 100,000 and 67.9% of the population living with obesity.

Testing firm to reduce cost of PCR tests for travellers returning to UK

Major coronavirus testing firm Randox says it will reduce the price of PCR tests to £60 for travellers returning to the UK from overseas.
This is around half the typical cost.
The discounted tests will be available for people flying with partner airlines, who have not been announced.
It comes after criticism that the government's plan for restarting international leisure travel will be too costly for some - requiring all passengers to get at least one PCR test on return to the UK. Transport Minister Grant Shapps has said costs do need to be driven down.
The earliest date that holidays abroad will be permitted is 17 May - although that is not yet confirmed.

Despite it reputation it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and of enormous strategic interest to China.

Bangladesh and Vietnam out of six Asian frontier markets are expected to remain among the fastest-growing world economies in 2021.
https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/bangladesh-among-likely-the-fastest-growing-economies-in-2021-1613615574

Bangladesh Economic Growth
2022* 7.94%
2021* 4.4%
2020* 3.8%
2019 8.15%
.....
the International Monetary Fund forecast that Bangladesh's gross domestic product per capita would exceed that of India's in 2020. ... Bangladesh's GDP per capita, on the other hand, is expected to grow by as much as 4 percent.

Daily Star April 9th
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government wants to develop the country and for that reason it needs more energy.

"We want the development of our country. That's why we need energy," she said when Special US Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry called on her at her the Gono Bhaban.

No mention for or against coal
https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/country-needs-more-energy-development-pm-2074921

Interesting article in the Daily Star (Bangladesh) today about the realities of Barapukuria coal mine and it's associated Generators and the inevitable conclusion that we are hearing more and more these days - utilise own coal. IMHO worth reading the whole article it's not very long, link at end

'At a time when Bangladesh begins implementing large scale coal-based power generation, it is perhaps not rational to keep most of its own coal fields unexploited'

'The aforementioned factors indicate that the Barapukuria coal mine cannot produce enough coal to supply for generation of available capacity of the power plant. And this situation arises from the fact that the third unit of 275 MW capacity was added to the power plant without getting an assurance of additional coal supply from the Barapukuria coal mine. The Barapukuria mine is about to complete its mining operation in the central part soon and will then move to the northern part. It is understood that the average annual production from the northern part in the coming years will decrease due to mining constraints. The power plant is thus faced with the continued prospect of supplying lesser coal than is required for generating optimum power.

This leads one to ask, why was the additional power capacity of the third unit added, knowing that the coal may not be available to run it? Is this not a case of lack of coordination between governmental departments for which public money is being wasted?

What is the future like for the mine as well as the power plant? The mine in its present form and design cannot meet the power plant's coal demand. Bangladesh may increase coal production either by adopting to a different mode of underground mining or to limited open pit mining where coal can be found at shallower depths subject to sociable acceptability. At a time when Bangladesh begins implementing large scale coal-based power generation, it is perhaps not rational to keep most of its own coal fields unexploited. Being the only coal mine in the country, the performance and experience of the Barapukuria coal mine will have lessons to share, should the government want to change its coal import policy and decide to add national coal to lessen the coal import volume.

https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/how-the-barapukuria-coal-mine-doing-2071433

New York Times
Fully vaccinated Americans can travel “at low risk to themselves,” but should still wear masks, social distance and wash their hands, the C.D.C. said.
Friday, April 2, 2021 11:21 AM EST
Vaccinated Americans do not need to get a coronavirus test before arriving in another country, unless required to do so by authorities at the destination, and they do not need to quarantine after returning to the United States unless required to do so by local jurisdictions, according to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But vaccinated travelers should have a negative result from a coronavirus test before boarding a flight back to the United States, and they should get tested again three to five days after returning home.

From 17th March post
Was just thinking about how endless PR from vested interests and lobby groups can get through even when u think you have a pretty solid opinion. Over the past 6 months or so there has been a lot of mentions in various countries press (not just BD) about how China was moving away from coal, would not allow non green projects in the belt and road initiatives. Well I came across this article today in the New York Times, very interesting reading, as are the comments about size of coal generation in China and its coal mines feeding them...yet even with their huge coal resources they are importing coal on a massive scale (one of the reasons BD is having to reconsider some of those coal fire plants that were going to operate on imported coal is because China has bought up all the output from Indonesian coal mines for the next 3 years see references in previous posts). So of late I begun to wonder were theses big Chinese Mining and Energy Generating companies going to have to tone down Coal powered electricity in emerging countries, well this article would indicate that China has no intention of stopping or even slowing coal fired generation any time soon, and if they aren't doing it at home they ain't going to be lobbying it anywhere else either. One thing they are on top of is better technology to reduce coal power emissions.
see attached link.
The Paris Accord allows leniency for developing nations, lenience on CO-2 and China, as massive as its output is, still falls within those allowances. Bangladesh is massively within .
I feel much more confident now than ever that this will go ahead in conjunction with our huge Chinese Generation and Mining partners

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/world/asia/china-coal-politics.html?campaign_id=51&emc=edit_mbe_20210317&instance_id=28143&nl=morning-briefing%3A-europe-edition®i_id=131858846&segment_id=53571&te=1&user_id=f4984661c13fd7b4911e4959522cf0a6

Balanced in its view of the realities for SE and S Asia.

According to a study published in November in the journal of Energy and Climate Change, coal-fired energy will overtake natural gas as the main power source in the ASEAN region by 2030. And by 2040 it could account for almost 50% of the region's projected CO2 emissions.

Lots more realistic comments in the article

https://www.dw.com/en/can-the-eus-climate-change-plan-work-in-southeast-asia/a-57062423

Further comment re coal in relation to the Chines Belt and Roads Initiative

Given the infrastructure projects referred to are the subject of memoranda of understanding signed between the governments of the two nations because of Bangladesh's membership of China's huge, East-Asia-to-Europe-via-Africa infrastructure program, the message sparked speculation such an anti-coal stance might be applied to all the 130-140 countries which have signed up for BRI investment.Christoph Nedopil Wang, director of independent policy and research body the Green Belt and Road Initiative Center, told pv magazine hopes for coal-free energy and infrastructure development along the overland and maritime trade routes which make up the BRI may be overblown.
Wang said such a policy diktat would have to come from higher levels of government and added, although his center is seeing more opportunity for renewables finance–in tandem with demand and supply side changes in coal project planning–clean energy spending may not be a simple affair.

For renewables, “financing models are different and Chinese FIs [foreign investors] do not necessarily have the experience,” said Wang, who added: “energy systems in BRI countries are not necessarily able to deal with RE [renewable energy investment],” and “vested interests continue to favor coal.”

Will Brits be able to take holidays abroad? - Wragg
Mr Wragg then asks about comments made by scientific advisers at the weekend that Brits won't be able to go abroad for their holidays - "is that the government's policy?"

The PM says the government will get the findings of its global travel taskforce on 5 April and he will "set out what I see may be possible from 17 May".

But he warns "things are looking difficult on the continent and we will have to look at the situation as it develops".

Asked by Mr Wragg if he finds advisers "freelancing across the media before decisions have been made" helpful, the PM says: "It is one of those things we just have to get used to. It has been a feature of life for quite some time."

But he assures his Tory colleague that advisers advise and ministers decide.

Interesting line in there saying they can also supply coal to Power Plants that have been put on hold because of unfeasible coal imports.

'The Project also has an ability to supply high quality coal to other IPP's and industries in Bangladesh, to suit Bangladesh Government requirements'

and another article along the same lines

Japan, China back coal despite Paris pledges

Despite both countries' commitments towards carbon-neutrality, Japan is the world's top lender to the coal industry and China is its leading underwriter.
https://www.eco-business.com/news/japan-china-back-coal-despite-paris-pledges/