The majority of global coal companies are still making expansion plans, an environmental and human rights organization announced Sept. 19. A database of companies that operate along the thermal coal value chain, titled the Global Coal Exit List, was released by Urgewald E.V. in partnership with 30 partner nongovernmental organizations. Of 746 companies on the Global Coal Exit List, 400 are still planning to expand their coal operations, according to a news release from the Germany-based nonprofit.
Asia
India: The Indian government is considering inviting foreign companies to bid for coal mining blocks in the country for the first time, Reuters reported Sept. 18, citing sources familiar with the matter. The South Asian country is planning to auction coal blocks before the end of the year amid rising coal imports, which climbed year over year by about a third to 56.2 million tonnes during the second quarter, as demand continues to rise.
* Coal production continues to increase in India and the country is likely to surpass the U.S. as the world's second largest coal producer this year, according to an S&P Global Platts report citing KPMG partner Niladri Bhattacharjee. The country is projected to produce roughly 815 million tonnes in fiscal year 2019-2020, up from 730 million tonnes in fiscal year 2018-2019, Bhattacharjee said Sept. 17 at the mJunction Indian Coal Markets conference in Calcutta.
Europe
Montenegro: Montenegro has decided to drop its plan to add a 254-MW unit at the Pljevlja coal-fired power plant due to environmental concerns, Reuters reported Sept. 19. Instead, the government will overhaul the existing facility to avoid its closure and meet European Union standards, according to the report. It is also looking at investing in new wind and solar capacity.
Germany: Following widespread student protests, Germany's Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said Sept. 22 that the country would boost its effort to move away from coal by joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, according to a Deutsche Welle report. The alliance was formed in 2017 by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada to expedite the phasing out of coal-fired power generation. "The coal exit is a central pillar of global climate protection," Schulze said, noting that Germany's coalition government agreed to a set of resolutions, which showed that the country is "officially" committed to ending its dependency on coal.
Africa
South Africa: An investigation was launched into the circumstances around a Sept. 15 fire that engulfed parts of the Optimum coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa, days before bidders make final submissions for the property and other coal assets owned by former Gupta-linked Tegeta Exploration and Resources Pty. Ltd. Business rescue practitioner Louis Klopper, speaking to S&P Global Market Intelligence on Sept. 17, confirmed the investigation and said initial indications were that a conveyor belt, which was used to transport coal to Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.'s Hendrina power station, caught fire when a main power cable fell down and set the grass alight.
* Sasol Ltd. plans to start a formal sales process for its South African coal mining business in the coming weeks, Bloomberg News reported Sept. 18, citing people familiar with the matter. With a turnover of 20 billion South African rand in 2018, the mining business produces about 40 million tonnes of coal per annum and sells almost exclusively to other parts of the Sasol group.
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