The Centre has sought support from coal majors in the form of Coal India limited (CIl) and its subsidiaries, many of those operating from Jharkhand, to come and assist in achieving its climate action plan; the commitment made to the world order.
As per the announcement made in Berlin in 2015, India, while disclosing its post-2020 ‘climate action plan’, had promised to reduce CO2 emission intensity by 35 per cent by 2030 over the 2005 levels.
“The issue at the hand was whether we should forgo our development just for climate change. And we decided that development along with ecology need to be safeguarded. I want the industry (coal companies) to understand that the Government is fully committed to its commitments in cutting emissions by 35 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. The coal industry is worthy to contribute into this,” said Union Coal Secretary Sushil Kumar on Thursday while addressing an international workshop organised by CMPDI over ‘best practices in methane drainage and use in coal mines’.
He at the same time stressed that coal demand related to power, steel etc would be there but the coal companies should now graduate to clean coal technology before it is too late.
“The Centre has fixed four priorities for the sector which are coal-bed methane, coal gasification, coal to liquid and coal to polygeneration. We urge the industry to sincerely move to these goals. There is no dearth of fund, if investment is required,” added the Coal Sec with CIl Chairman Sutirtha Bhattacharya, BCCl cum Central Coalfields limited CMD Gopal Singh, Shekhar Saran of CMPDI, US Consul General Craig l Hall and others listening patiently.
India representing developing nations along with China has committed to work for boosting clean energy in electricity generation, adding carbon to sinks like tree and forest cover and resort to alternate energy sources in the form of solar and wind at the United Nations Framework Convention of the Climate Change (UNFCCC).Sushil Kumar also asked what is holding the country’s coal sector in going for coal bed methane and other alternate forms of the carbon fuel, besides just digging and burning it. “We are ready to make investment but there should be research and innovation in this regard where role of CMPDI and other institutions located in Jharkhand is important. In fact, we have hardly done anything in so many years,” said he.
Gopal Singh on the occasion pilled out the reality coming in the form of challenges the industry is facing as far as looking at other forms of alternate power sources are concerned.
“Coal industry is at crossroads today globally and power plants are under question on sustainability front. Renewable source of energy has started questioning coal fired power plants. Cost of solar power has come as low as `2.97 per unit which is a serious threat to us,” said the CMD stressing over the other produces coming out of coal for the subsistence of coal mining sector.