Modern Mining October 2024

COAL

Agility key to coal industry etching a place in energy mix By July Ndlovu, CEO of Thungela Resources Energy solutions in the future will be made up of a hodgepodge of renewables and fossil fuel sources. Just how coal will fit into that mix depends on how adaptable the industry is to an everchanging energy sector.

July Ndlovu, CEO of Thungela Resources.

C oal presents the modern world with a paradox that it cannot escape just yet: it is a fossil fuel that impacts the environment but at the same time it is a pre-eminent driver of economic growth, particularly for emerging economies. It is simply not possible to keep the lights on without coal.

Asia, a continent that increasingly relies on coal, makes up more than half of that figure. Industrialised countries may hastily be phasing out coal and opting for renewable energies and natural gas, but Asia's influence as a coal-centric energy hub continues to grow. It is for this reason that coal will remain a dominant energy source over the next twenty years.

Governments, particularly those from the more developed North American and European nations, are adjusting policies in favour of a mix of fossil fuels and renewable energies. As a result, the coal industry has reached a point where it needs to adapt to a new energy future. One way of doing this is to make coal safe for consumption to ensure it remains a vital part of the energy mix while also trying to meet increasing demand from populous developing countries. Asia’s pivotal role in coal’s future Coal’s future is reliant on the increasing demand for

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook report for 2023 foresees an 18% increase in Central and Southern Asia between 2020 and 2040. Coal will represent 35% of the energy mix in Southeast Asia by 2030 and will increase to 49% ten years hence. Coal imports to Asian countries from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

With an in-depth understanding of how our equipment is performing, we can conduct component lifecycle management to reduce our unit costs.

and Development (OECD) will remain an important component of energy for the foreseeable future as Japan, Korea and Taiwan lack domestic energy reserves. The report’s most astonishing projection sees China

energy from developing countries, which, according to the International Monetary Fund, make up a staggering 85% of the global population.

and India accounting for over 70% of global coal consumption by 2026. Globally, coal will be the world's primary source of electricity

16  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | October 2024