coal - Green Prophet

Ivanpah: the value of first-of-line green energy projects, even when they fail

Karin Kloosterman — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:50:04 +0000

A major solar power plant project called Ivanpah, that was granted over a billion dollars in US Government federal loans is now on the road to closing two of its three units, with energy experts labeling it a “boondoggle”. While critics argue that the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility is another example of government waste, it’s essential to recognize the role such first-in-line projects play in advancing clean energy.

In 2011, the US Department of Energy (DOE) under former President Barack Obama issued $1.6 billion in loan guarantees to finance the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a project consisting of three solar concentrating thermal power plants in California. At the time, then-Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz called it an “example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy.”

The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a $2.2 billion concentrated solar plant in California, was once hailed as a breakthrough in renewable energy.

It was a time when spending on green energy projects was flush, starting with a boon around 2006 and 2007. Investors and government subsidizers were looking to fund dreams and Ivanpah promised a world with free energy harnessed from the sun.

Solar thermal versus photovoltaic PV panels

Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight, generating heat that produces steam to drive a turbine for electricity. It is known to kill birds that pass by it, attracted to the light. In contrast, photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials. While solar thermal can include energy storage with molten salt, PV is generally cheaper, more efficient, and easier to scale.

Ashalim is producing power but local financial estimates say it was not worth the cost.

Ashalim producing power in 2022. You will see a blinding light when you drive by it in the desert

Now, after more than a decade, Ivanpah is set to shut down 2 out of 3 of its units. The facility never lived up to its energy production goals and required backup natural gas to stay operational. Its primary buyer, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), has canceled its agreement 14 years early, citing cost savings for customers. Critics argue that the plant was not only financially unsustainable but also had environmental drawbacks, such as harming wildlife in the Mojave Desert.

The plant’s operators plan to begin closing units in early 2026, with decommissioned units potentially being repurposed for photovoltaic solar energy production. Operator NRG Energy plans to shut down two-thirds of the Ivanpah Solar CSP plant after Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) decided to terminate two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the facility to save ratepayers money.

Ivanpah sp;ar energy panels

But while Ivanpah may not have been a commercial success, dismissing it entirely as a failure ignores the bigger picture. Groundbreaking energy projects often face immense technical, financial, and environmental challenges—many of which only become apparent through real-world implementation. These projects are bold experiments that inform future innovations, providing invaluable lessons that improve the next generation of technology.

Ivanpah isn’t the only example. The solar thermal plant at Ashalim in Israel also fell short of expectations, proving too costly to compete with newer photovoltaic solar technologies. Similarly, MASDAR City in the United Arab Emirates, envisioned as a fully sustainable zero-energy metropolis, has struggled to achieve its initial ambitions and remains sparsely populated. We have an intern dispatch what it’s like. However, these efforts have contributed to advancements in green energy, from refining solar technology to informing large-scale urban sustainability planning.

Even failed projects serve as milestones on the road to a more sustainable energy future. Without Ivanpah and other early ventures, the solar industry wouldn’t be where it is today—producing cheaper, more efficient energy. Green innovation requires trial and error, and while not every project will be a financial success, the lessons they provide are often worth far more than their price tag. Saudi Arabia, for instance, is investing in hydrogen energy projects which may never be commercially viable without massive investments to sustain them. So let’s see “failing” as an outcome of bravery.

Ivanpah wasn’t the first to fail.

Ivanpah is connected to Israel through BrightSource Energy, the company that developed the solar thermal technology used in the plant. BrightSource is an Israeli-founded company specializing in concentrated solar power (CSP). The same technology used in Ivanpah was later implemented in Ashalim, a large CSP plant in Israel’s Negev Desert. Both projects faced challenges related to efficiency, cost, and environmental concerns, highlighting the difficulties of scaling solar thermal technology.

Ashalim, developed and owned by EDF Renewables, is operating today, but at a loss. There are more than 25 similar CSP towers across the world, including China, Spain, Morocco and the United States — but only one, in the United Arab Emirates, stands taller than the plant in Ashalim, Israel.

An Israeli business newspaper, Calcalist, called the Ashalim power plant “one of the saddest stories” in the history of Israeli infrastructure. Others say the tower’s more expensive energy is, in fact, almost imperceptible to Israeli citizens, since the higher cost is spread across the millions of consumers on the national grid.

Let’s look at a few failed power plants from the west:

1. Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project (USA)

Investment Cost: $1 billion
ROI: Negative – declared bankrupt in 2020
What Happened? Crescent Dunes, a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Nevada, was backed by a $737 million federal loan guarantee. It was supposed to provide 10 hours of energy storage using molten salt technology, allowing it to generate power even after sunset. However, persistent technical failures—including leaks in the molten salt storage system—resulted in multiple shutdowns. In 2019, its sole customer, NV Energy, terminated its contract, leading to its financial collapse.

2. Kemper Clean Coal Plant (USA)

Investment Cost: $7.5 billion
ROI: Negative – converted to natural gas after exceeding budget by $5 billion
What Happened? The Kemper Project in Mississippi was designed to be the first large-scale “clean coal” power plant using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Initially estimated to cost $2.4 billion, expenses ballooned to $7.5 billion due to construction delays, cost overruns, and unproven technology. In 2017, after years of setbacks, the project was abandoned as a clean coal facility and converted to a conventional natural gas plant, making its CCS ambitions a complete failure.

3. Pelamis Wave Energy Project (Scotland)

Investment Cost: Estimated £100 million+ (~$130 million)
ROI: Negative – company went bankrupt in 2014
What Happened? Pelamis was one of the first large-scale attempts at harnessing wave energy. It deployed snake-like floating devices off the coast of Scotland to generate electricity from ocean waves. While the technology showed promise, it struggled with durability, maintenance costs, and efficiency. After failing to secure further investment, the company went bankrupt in 2014, demonstrating the difficulties of making wave energy commercially viable.

These examples highlight the immense challenges of scaling up new energy technologies. Despite their failures, they provided valuable lessons that inform ongoing advancements in solar, clean coal, and wave energy.

The post Ivanpah: the value of first-of-line green energy projects, even when they fail appeared first on Green Prophet.

5 Ethical Trading Trends to Consider in 2021

Bhok Thompson — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 15:32:38 +0000

Today’s financial investors and traders that seek long and short-term profits are increasingly aware of the carbon footprint of the companies they invest in. With climate change now widely acknowledged and businesses across all sectors ramping up their efforts to operate with a greater responsibility towards the wider environment, ethical trading has become an exciting opportunity for eco-conscious individuals.

It is said that up to €120 billion was invested in sustainable investment options during 2019. Much of that will have been invested in binary options trading, as more retail traders are looking to speculate on stocks with fixed risks and rewards, acting as an entry-level form of trading for beginners, thanks to the low minimum trade prices and the hundreds of assets available to trade with reputable brokers. If you are looking to redefine your investment portfolio and incorporate a more sustainable and ethical approach to investing in the future for you and the planet, read on as we recommend five ethical trading trends that are likely to be hot topics throughout 2021.

Capitalisation of shifting consumer ethics

In the UK alone, ethical consumer spending and finance in 2019 peaked at £98 billion. This shift in consumer attitudes towards ethical goods and services is fuelled by two key issues – climate change and public health. Retailers are working hard to improve their sustainability, while consumers are changing their approach to things like their diet in a bid to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. McDonald’s is a global fast-food giant with a keen eye on veganism. In fact, their proposed ‘McPlant’ food menu is due to drop in 2021 which could catapult the McDonald’s share price. Unilever is another stock worth monitoring given that they are supplying Burger King with their own plant-based fast-food menu in 2021.

The concept of green bonds

In a bid to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon, sustainable global economy, many of the world’s biggest stock exchanges have introduced certified green bonds. The London Stock Exchange was one of the first to champion an exclusive Sustainable Bond Market (SBM). The proceeds of green bonds are used to finance major projects with green benefits. $200 billion worth of green bonds were issued last year, and the UK government is also set to issue its inaugural sovereign green bond in the coming months.

Renewables Vs coal

The previous governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, once labelled the fight for a carbon-neutral world as the “greatest commercial opportunity” of our time. In the next four-to-five years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that the majority of electricity supplies worldwide will be powered by renewables rather than coal. Oil powerhouses like Orsted transitioned towards a renewable future a decade ago, leaving giants like BP and Royal Dutch Shell trailing in their wake. It will be intriguing to see which opportunities present themselves in the renewables sector, including the electric vehicle (EV) industry and its bid for mainstream adoption. There are tell-tale signs when a business is developing a sustainable energy business model, not least internal efficiencies and new technologies.

Corporate diversity at boardroom level

Following the Parker Review in 2017, it was revealed that over half of the companies listed in the FTSE 100 index lacked directors from ethnic minorities. The review encouraged corporations to appoint one by the end of 2021, so the clock is ticking. Investing in forward-thinking, agile stocks that are embracing ethnic and gender diversity should be part of any ethical trading strategy in 2021. More than a third of members on the board of FTSE 100 companies are now female, with Citibank becoming the first leading global bank to appoint a woman as chief executive in Jane Fraser. Investors should also note that McKinsey’s survey of 1,000-plus corporations in over a dozen countries found that firms with gender and ethnic diversity on their boards are likely to experience above-average profitability in the coming years.

Impact investments

Last but by no means least, societal investing should also be considered as an ethical trading strategy. Investing in stocks and businesses with bold ambitions for positive societal change should be prioritised. These changes could include projects relating to health and social care and affordable housing. The size of the market for social impact investments in the UK alone is expected to be worth at least £10 billion in four years.

There is no doubt that climate change will reset the trading landscape in the decades ahead, as investors scramble to revise their portfolios in an opportunist fashion as opposed to a long-term threat to their returns.

The post 5 Ethical Trading Trends to Consider in 2021 appeared first on Green Prophet.

Oxford data study: 90% of electricity companies are blocking investment in renewables

Karin Kloosterman — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 15:00:16 +0000

We all want renewables, but the companies controlling our power, many of them government-owned are in fact maintaining and investing in polluting energy like coal.

Want your city, region and country to stand for something better? Want to switch over to solar energy and renewables, like Australia and Germany? New research today from the University of Oxford shows that electric utility companies around the world are continuing to invest heavily in fossil-fuel-based power generation, resulting in a missed opportunity for progress on global climate commitments.

The study, published in Nature Energy is the first to investigate electric utilities on a global scale. Using a machine-learning technique, the research analyses the activities of more than 3,000 companies over the past two decades to understand investment strategies deployed.

“This research highlights a worrying gap between what is needed to stop global warming, and what actions are being taken by the utility sector,” explains Galina Alova, study author and researcher at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

“Although there have been a few high-profile examples of individual electric utilities investing in renewables, this study shows that overall, the sector is making the transition to clean energy slowly or not at all.”

The study finds that only 10% of companies prioritised renewables – i.e. expanded their renewables-based power generation capacity faster than their gas or coal fired capacity. Many of these organisations also continued to invest in fossil fuels in parallel with renewables, although at a slower rate.

Many countries and businesses have committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To achieve this, fossil fuels must be replaced with renewable energy throughout the economy. But the study suggests utilities remain committed to their conventional fossil-fuel-dominated activities. While independent power producers are leading the penetration of renewables, traditional utilities lag behind.

“Utilities’ continued investment in fossil fuels leaves them at risk of stranded assets – where power plants will need to be retired early – and undermines global efforts to tackle climate change,” says Alova.

She maintains, “The global transition to a low carbon future might be further jeopardised by the strain that COVID-19 pandemic has put on public and private finance, as well as supply chains, resulting in delay or cancellation of new renewable energy projects. This could be especially detrimental to developing countries that are dependent on green development finance.”

The post Oxford data study: 90% of electricity companies are blocking investment in renewables appeared first on Green Prophet.

Renewables hands-down cheaper than coal, new report

Karin Kloosterman — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 09:31:42 +0000

Renewable power is increasingly cheaper than any new electricity capacity based on fossil fuels, a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published today finds. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2019 shows that more than half of the renewable capacity added in 2019 achieved lower power costs than the cheapest new coal plants.

The report highlights that new renewable power generation projects now increasingly undercut existing coal-fired plants. On average, new solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind power cost less than keeping many existing coal plants in operation, and auction results show this trend accelerating – reinforcing the case to phase-out coal entirely. Next year, up to 1 200 gigawatts (GW) of existing coal capacity could cost more to operate than the cost of new utility-scale solar PV, the report shows.

Replacing the costliest 500 GW of coal with solar PV and onshore wind next year would cut power system costs by up to USD 23 billion every year and reduce annual emissions by around 1.8 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO2), equivalent to 5% of total global CO2 emissions in 2019. It would also yield an investment stimulus of USD 940 billion, which is equal to around 1% of global GDP.

“We have reached an important turning point in the energy transition. The case for new and much of the existing coal power generation, is both environmentally and economically unjustifiable,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA. “Renewable energy is increasingly the cheapest source of new electricity, offering tremendous potential to stimulate the global economy and get people back to work. Renewable investments are stable, cost-effective and attractive offering consistent and predictable returns while delivering benefits to the wider economy.”

“A global recovery strategy must be a green strategy,” La Camera added. “Renewables offer a way to align short-term policy action with medium- and long-term energy and climate goals. Renewables must be the backbone of national efforts to restart economies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. With the right policies in place, falling renewable power costs, can shift markets and contribute greatly towards a green recovery.”

Renewable electricity costs have fallen sharply over the past decade, driven by improving technologies, economies of scale, increasingly competitive supply chains and growing developer experience. Since 2010, utility-scale solar PV power has shown the sharpest cost decline at 82%, followed by concentrating solar power (CSP) at 47%, onshore wind at 39% and offshore wind at 29%.

Costs for solar and wind power technologies also continued to fall year-on-year. Electricity costs from utility-scale solar PV fell 13% in 2019, reaching a global average of 6.8 cents (USD 0.068) per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Onshore and offshore wind both declined about 9%, reaching USD 0.053/kWh and USD 0.115/kWh, respectively.

Recent auctions and power purchase agreements (PPAs) show the downward trend continuing for new projects are commissioned in 2020 and beyond. Solar PV prices based on competitive procurement could average USD 0.039/kWh for projects commissioned in 2021, down 42% compared to 2019 and more than one-fifth less than the cheapest fossil-fuel competitor namely coal-fired plants. Record-low auction prices for solar PV in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), Chile, Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru and Saudi Arabia confirm that values as low as USD 0.03/kWh are already possible.

For the first time, IRENA’s annual report also looks at investment value in relation to falling generation costs. The same amount of money invested in renewable power today produces more new capacity than it would have a decade ago. In 2019, twice as much renewable power generation capacity was commissioned than in 2010 but required only 18% more investment.

The post Renewables hands-down cheaper than coal, new report appeared first on Green Prophet.

Turkish locals displaced coal, new report by 350.org

Karin Kloosterman — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 09:26:59 +0000

Muğla (Turkey): The impacts coal is having on the environment around Muğla, Turkey.
Photo by Servet Dilber, 2019.

The global climate crisis, mainly generated by the biggest fossil fuel corporations in the world, is seriously aggravating the already extensive and heavy set of human rights violations caused by this same industry, warns a report released this Friday, February 7th, by 350.org. The whole report can be found here (links to PDF) and offers great research for anyone researching how fossil fuels and coal extraction, like in the case of Turkey, harms human rights.

Oil, gas and coal companies are directly or indirectly responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses committed by corporations around the world in the last three decades, as shown by the 10 cases mentioned in the publication.

Considering just a few major cases of violations, the fossil fuel industry was directly responsible for about 45,000 premature deaths caused by health issues, the dump of more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into rivers and the opening of almost 2.5 million acres of previously inaccessible indigenous homeland to land speculation, colonization and deforestation.

The violations have been committed by both local companies and industry giants like Chevron-Texaco and Shell. In some cases included in the report, companies have acted in tandem with governments or private security groups in an illegal or non-transparent manner.

350.org’s Phil Aroneanu On How To Build An Environmental Movement In The Middle East

Abuses include the murder or arbitrary arrest of community leaders in Mexico and Nigeria, restrictions on the right to protest in the United States, the forced removal of communities in Turkey, threats to water security in Australia, contamination of rivers and fish stocks in indigenous territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and contributing to the premature deaths of thousands of people from respiratory causes in Bangladesh.

With the aggravation of the climate crisis, the negative environmental and social impacts of the actions of fossil fuel companies in several of these cases – and similar ones – are getting worse.

“The pollution and contamination often caused by fossil fuel industry activities mainly affect the poorest populations, as well as the climate crisis. Vulnerable communities are being doubly exposed to losses or scarcity of land, fish stocks and water, for example,” said Aaron Packard, manager of the Climate Defenders program at 350.org.

In addition, the report highlights that there is a growing understanding among civil society and Human Rights scholars and practitioners that fossil fuel production is an attack on the millions of people most directly affected by the climate crisis. In the Netherlands, individuals and organizations such as Friends of the Earth are taking legal action against Shell claiming they neglect their legal duties in relation to climate change, as the report mentions. Also, other legal cases against fossil fuel companies for the damages caused by their activities are underway in several places of the United States.

“Even in the face of the clearest scientific evidence that burning fossil fuels is literally setting the planet on fire, this sector continues to invest in the same old model and often misinforms society about the climate crisis and its causes. In doing so, companies are actively disregarding the right of entire populations to a healthy environment, sufficient and quality food, and a political and social scenario of stability,” stated Aaron Packard.

The 350.org report also highlights the need for local and national governments to act to protect climate defenders, such as community leaders who are at the forefront of mobilizations for the rights of affected families. Many of them are targets of threats, aggression, torture or murder.

An exemplary case mentioned by the report is the one of Samir Flores Soberanes, a journalist and leader of a Nahuátl Indigenous community in Mexico. In February 2019, he was murdered in his home after receiving several threats for publicly opposing the construction of a pipeline and two new thermal power plants in the community’s territory.

“Many of the countries where these violations are committed have signed international treaties obliging them to protect threatened individuals, guarantee the right to protest and respect the decisions of Indigenous communities about their territories. Legal mechanisms exist, but they have to be enforced, legitimized and respected,” said Nicole Oliveira, Managing Director of 350.org in Latin America.

The post Turkish locals displaced coal, new report by 350.org appeared first on Green Prophet.

Depleted Turkish coal mine transforms into prize-winning olive groves

Zia Weise — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 14:11:57 +0000

Photo: Omer Aydiner (2014)

As olive groves across Turkey are falling victim to energy projects, one construction company decided to buck the trend, turning a coal mine into an award-winning olive plantation.

Protests erupted in the disaster-struck coal capital Soma last month after a construction company felled 6,000 olive trees to make way for a power plant.

Photo: Omer Aydiner (2014)

The case generated nationwide interest, underlining Turkey’s struggle to balance the government’s aim of reducing the country’s dependence on energy imports with protecting the environment.

But in Aydin on the Aegean coast, a few hours’ drive from Soma, the Zetay olive grove serves as a rare example of sustainable development in Turkey.

Originally an open-excavation coal mine, it was operated by the Ankara-based Aydiner Company in the 1990s until the coal ran out.

Yet instead of letting the land lie barren, the company bought the 300,000 sqm area in 2007 and transformed it into an orchard. Last year, it began producing its own olive oil.

Ömer Aydiner, the company’s owner, said he had been thinking about converting the area for several years. After deciding to turn it into an olive grove, the company sought the advice of agriculture experts at Ankara University and the local community in Aydin.

“We started looking into the best variety we could use with one of the professors in Ankara and by using the experience of the muhtar [village headman] and his father,” Mr Aydiner told Green Prophet.

“They’d been living in the village ever since that village was established, so they knew what could be grown over there. We decided to stick to the olives that all the farmers and all the people in the area were growing.”

The company works closely with the villagers. As Zetay’s young trees do not yet yield enough to sustain the oil production, Aydiner buys olives from farmers in the region. During harvest, the plantation also relies on local labour.

“We are from a village ourselves. We’re from northern Turkey, from the Black Sea coast, so we know how to be a village person,” Mr Aydiner said about his company.

“The best knowledge is always on the ground, it comes from the people who live there. I cannot bring someone from the Black Sea to advise me on growing olives in the Aegean area, that would be ridiculous.”

External help came from Professor Mucahit Özkaya from Ankara University’s horticulture department, who specialises in olive farming.

Photo: Omer Aydiner (2014)

Under his supervision, the company began work on the barren mine. The area’s soil was severely damaged after years of coal exploitation, so Prof Özkaya instructed the company to dig holes – one each for the roughly 13,000 trees – and fill them with fertile earth.

He also added caper and pomegranate trees to the orchard to prevent landslides and further erosion.

“Some other companies plant forests or orchards on old coal mines, but this company contacted me to establish it in the right way. Most companies don’t care for the science behind it,” said Prof Özkaya, who still works as a consultant at Zetay.

As Aydiner wanted to produce organic oil, the plantation uses no fertiliser or pesticide and little machinery. To combat pests, the workers rely on tried-and-tested methods used by local farmers.

“We had some problems with mice and insects, so we put some animals, like turkeys, chickens, hens and geese, in the plantation and they’re eating the insects,” Prof Özkaya told Green Prophet.

Award-winning olive oil

Nearly 10 years in the planning, the effort has paid off: Zetay’s olive oil won eight awards from across the world this year. Encouraged by the plantation’s success, Mr Aydiner said his company was looking into starting a similar project in the Black Sea region.

Photo: Omer Aydiner (2014)

Such projects are rare. Elsewhere in Turkey, olive groves are under threat after the government drafted a bill to facilitate the expropriation of small olive plantations to build power plants.

An estimated 90 per cent of the country’s olive groves are smaller than 2.5 hectares and could therefore be expropriated at the government’s will if the bill passes.

Even without the new law, Turkey’s hunger for energy has led the government to lend support to destructive construction projects.

Deforestation has become widespread: Istanbul’s northern forests, where the world’s largest airport is being built, are disappearing and on the Mediterranean coast, hundreds of thousands of trees stand in the way of Turkey’s recently-greenlit first nuclear power plant.

Plans for a thermal power plant in Soma, where 301 miners were killed in an explosion in May, saw 6,000 olive trees felled last month. The images of sobbing villagers sparked outrage nationwide, forcing the Council of State to suspend the project.

Deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus tried to strike a conciliatory note: “We need to find the middle ground. Yes, we need electrical energy. We need power plants. But it is also wrong to damage the environment in a thoughtless, reckless way just because we have some economic needs.”

Yet a few weeks later, his words seemed to have been forgotten when several dozen olive trees were cut down to make way for a power plant in Aydin province, less than an hour’s drive from the Zetay orchard.

The post Depleted Turkish coal mine transforms into prize-winning olive groves appeared first on Green Prophet.

Egypt’s environmental suicide by coal

Maurice Picow — Tue, 27 May 2014 17:36:25 +0000

Egypt’s ongoing energy issues, compounded by its current political and economic problems, appear to be going from bad to worse. This is especially so since its natural gas revenues were dramatically curtailed following numerous sabotage attacks on its Sinai gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan.

Egypt once held great promise as becoming a leader in solar energy production (see photo) in the in the Middle East and North Africa MENA region. The World Bank, which has been helping to provide financing for MENA region renewable energy projects , has mentioned that Egypt and other MENA countries are located in a region that is very susceptible to the ravages of climate change.

In order to provide at least a partial solution to the country’s increasing energy needs, Egypt’s government is now turning to importing large shipments of coal through its Safaga Red Sea Port, according to an article published in the Saudi Gazette.

The Gazette article quoted comments by Ali Reda, head of the Tourism Investment Authority in the Red Sea, who, said in a press statement: “Coal will be detrimental to tourism in the Red Sea. Coal and coal hauling (see photo above) will pollute the environment, harm people’s health, and destroy marine life; especially coral reefs.” He added that bringing in thousands of tons of coal by truck will also harm the country’s roadways and cause numerous road accidents.

This fear was also voiced by Ahmed Droubi, coordinator of the Egyptians Against Coal movement, who said that bringing in 8 million tons of coal a year would require 250,000 to 500,000 trucks on Egyptian roads, causing significant damage to its road infrastructure.

Despite efforts made by Egyptian government cabinet officials to curtail the use of coal by “abiding to precautionary measures recommended by the World Health Organization and enforcing those measures on all facilities that manufacture, import, transport, store, or use coal,”the government seems to be turning a “blind eye” to increasing the country’s use of this polluting energy source.

Turning to coal has resulted from a significant cut in natural gas supplies to major factories; especially cement factories. Egypt’s energy supplies have also come partially from hydroelectric power generated from its Aswan Dam facility in southern Egypt. This energy source could be curtailed significantly if Ethiopia embarks on its plan to build a giant dam on its section of the Nile River.

Regarding the environmental impact of coal, the organization Egyptians Against Coal (EAC) say that the use of it “affects the brain, the nerves, the lungs, and the blood. Research proved that inhaling coal dust causes redox reactions and increases chances of lung cancer, blood viscosity, and narrowed blood vessels.”

Due to the continued political turbulance present in Egypt, it may be naive to expect it to turn to renewable energy. Solar energy and wind power could help by providing even a small percentage of the country’s total energy needs. In a joint statement issued by several environmental groups, representatives said that Egypt needs to pursue other forms of energy production, including use of waste products (garbage, etc) to generate energy. “In Germany, 61% of energy used in the cement industry is generated from waste. In the Netherlands, the percentage rose to 98% in 2009.”

The statement added that several developing countries are also working on long-term plans to discard polluting sources of energy. Egypt’s mounting garbage problem, especially in major cities like Cairo and Alexandria, could become an energy source of its own; and not just food for pigs and income for ragpickers.

Maybe this idea will one day become reality; resulting in less use of polluting fuels like coal.

Read more on Egypt’s energy issues:

The Dam that May Damn Egypt’s Future

Jumpstarting Solar Power in the MENA Region

Will Israel’s Natural Gas Tap Flow to Turkey?

Photo of Egyptian solar panels: Tarir Institute for Middle East Policy

The post Egypt’s environmental suicide by coal appeared first on Green Prophet.

Deadly Turkish mine explosion spurs massive social protest

Tafline Laylin — Wed, 14 May 2014 23:39:55 +0000

Protests broke out across Turkey after an explosion at a coal mine on Tuesday afternoon has killed at least 270 people. Opposition politician Ozgur Ozel recently proposed to investigate mine safety following earlier deaths, but the government shut him down. Now outraged citizens are urging Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign.

A power transformer is thought to have blown up at the Soma mine during shift change, according to the Guardian, causing a massive fire that was still burning 18 hours after the initial explosion.

The paper reports that there were 800 miners on site when the fire erupted. At least 363 people have since been rescued, but hope is beginning to dwindle that those still trapped inside the mine will survive.

People on the scene say that the mine shafts are hot and thick with smoke; Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said that most of the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Despite warnings that doing so could feed the fire, efforts are underway to pump oxygen into pockets below ground in order to help the trapped miners breathe.

“Regarding the rescue operation, I can say that our hopes are diminishing,” said Yildiz. “The problem is more serious than we thought. It is developing into an accident with the highest worker death toll Turkey has seen so far. We are worried that human loss could increase.”

Ozgur Ozel was aware that mine safety regulations across Turkey are failing to keep pace with the country’s rapid industrialization, but conservative politicians stood in the way of any further investigations.

NBC reports that SOMA Komur Isletmeleri A.S., the company that owns the enflamed mine, is involved with various government construction projects, including the country’s second tallest skyscraper.

Nevermind that coal is the single most filthy fuel that Turkey burns with criminal abandon, (the country won the Fossil of the Day Award at the Doha climate change conference in 2012) activist and political science researcher Ercan Akkaya blames the government for what is widely believed to have been a preventable tragedy.

“This was not an accident, it happened because not enough is ever done to protect workers,” Akkaya told the paper. “The government is complicit in these deaths, in our tragedy. Since 2006, almost 11,000 workers in Turkey have died while doing their jobs.”

As protests spread through Ankara and Istanbul, many are wondering whether the angry mobs will trigger another violent, undemocratic crackdown, and whether their efforts will have any impact on this government’s reckless abandon of its people.

The post Deadly Turkish mine explosion spurs massive social protest appeared first on Green Prophet.

South Africa to Green its Economy in 2013 with Carbon Tax

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:36:30 +0000

South Africa, among the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases worldwide, plans to introduce its own price on carbon next year.

The Treasury said this week that South Africa, which is the continent’s biggest polluter, plans to introduce a carbon tax on annual emissions for all the industrial sectors responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, including electricity, petroleum, iron, steel and aluminium, to reduce greenhouse gases.

South Africa was the host of last year’s climate talks at Durban that yielded the first international agreement to put a price on greenhouse gases to be worked out by 2015 and operational by 2020.

In putting its own price on pollution ahead of time, South Africa will be joining the $500 million dollar economy of the EU, New Zealand and Australia (the world’s largest coal exporter) California (the fifth largest economy in the world) the ten northeastern RGGI states (comprising almost half the US population) and four Canadian provinces (covering half of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions) – that have done so already.

With around 500-million tons of greenhouse gases emitted yearly, the country ranks third in the world on a total emissions per capita basis. It is one of the BASIC nations (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) responsible for most new greenhouse gas pollution.

So South Africa’s carbon tax is a very encouraging development.

Most of these nations, states and provinces are using not a carbon tax, but cap & trade to cap emissions and ratchet them down. For example, RGGI reduces the cap by 2.5 percent per year over the next four years so that in 2018 there is a 10 percent reduction from the baseline emissions. Australia’s price on pollution begins as a carbon tax next year, and transitions into a cap & trade program.

South Africa’s draft policy of a carbon tax would be published later this year. It has not been easy. It has been the subject of much controversy and industry pushback.

In the South African plan every industrial sector that pollutes will be covered from the start. (The failed 2009 Waxman Markey climate legislation in the US would have begun only with stationary sources emitting over 25,000 tons of CO2 annually – essentially covering only coal power plants to start with.)

To slow the impact of the new tax, it would initially be required for only one third of each company’s emissions, starting in 2013. Then gradually, over the next 7 years, the amount would be increased by 10% a year until 2020.

For emissions above the capped amount, companies would pay a carbon tax on each ton of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) of 120 rand or about $US 16.

But all industrial sectors except electric power production would also be able to claim additional relief of at least another 10%. That is because in South Africa, nearly all electricity is supplied by a monopoly coal power company, Eskom, so heavy industries have no options to switch to cleaner electricity sources like wind or solar to cut their emissions.

Perhaps it is time that these South African industries should start reading Green Prophet and other green tech news to learn from their North African neighbours like Morocco and Egypt, that are moving in leaps and bounds in developing clean energy.

From combined heat & power from companies like Israel’s 72% Efficient ZenithSolar to solar thermal for steam production like GlassPoint Solar, there are lots of clean energy solutions to reduce or eliminate dirty coal power, even at the company level.

Perhaps, South African industrial leaders could travel north to MENASOL 2012 (16-17 May, Abu Dhabi) where they can find out about all of the wonderful clean tech solutions available as alternatives to reliance on dirty coal.

The post South Africa to Green its Economy in 2013 with Carbon Tax appeared first on Green Prophet.

Your Neighbor’s Keeper When It Comes To Nuclear

Shifra Mincer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:43:56 +0000

Israelis discuss the problem of getting nuclear neighbors.

In a small region like the Middle East, a single country’s decision to build nuclear power can easily spill over borders.

At a panel last Monday, Israeli energy experts spoke on the risks and benefits of nuclear power, noting that even if Israel avoided the risks of nuclear, the country would have to shoulder the burden should a neighboring country choose to develop nuclear power. Israel’s nuclear energy program has been “in a state of ambiguity” for years due mostly to security, human health and environmental concerns.

Indeed, the recent October earthquake in Turkey caused that country to reconsider its nuclear policy. Just days after the disaster, news agency dongA reported that the country would likely stall plans for a new nuclear power plant in the Sinop region, 800 kilometers northwest of the earthquake epicenter. But with time, Turkey and several other countries exhaled and moved ahead with various nuclear construction projects as planned.

In Israel, leading energy experts have been hesitant to call of nuclear plants. Just days after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, Israel hosted the Negev Conference in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat.

“Israel should build a nuclear power station, and it must be made to be safe. Hasty decisions should not be made because of what is happening in Japan,” Yiftach Ron-Tal, chairman of the Israel Electric Company, told the conference attendees at the time.

Dr. Stilian Gelberg, of the Environmental Protection Ministry’s radiation department was part of Monday’s panel, titled “Nuclear Energy in Israel – Chance or Risk?,” which took place at the Society for the Protection of Nature’s Jerusalem Environment and Nature Conference at the International Convention Center in Binyanei Hauma.

He said Israel’s neighbors would likely build nuclear whether or not Israel chose to do so and Israel would therefore be hit with the consequences of the disaster if something were to happen to a reactor in Jordan or Egypt. Just this August, Jordan announced its plans to build a 1,000 MW nuclear reactor, despite protests within the country.

Gelberg noted, however, that coal and gas power—the main sources of electricity in Israel—also bear risks whether they are developed in Israel or nearby.

“There would’ve been exposure to the same disaster even if it was a regular coal-based plant,” Gelberg said.

Others on the panel also encouraged nuclear development, noting that other types of electrical generation had pitfalls of their own.

“We must consider the technologies and not just cancel them out of hysteria and remember that gas is also polluting,” said CEO and energy specialist at the Eco Energy Dr. Amit Mor. “It has strategic problems in the future – you have to take everything into consideration.”

Image via deusxflorida

The post Your Neighbor’s Keeper When It Comes To Nuclear appeared first on Green Prophet.