Page 4 - Fossil Fuel

The complexity of green transition

Inaction on generating new revenue as fossil fuel taxes dry up will harm India's economic prospects

Global fossil fuel use, emissions hit records in 2023, says report

Overall global primary energy consumption hit an all-time high of 620 Exajoules (EJ), the report said

Amid call for reduced dependency, India's coal import rises 13% in April

India's coal import rose by 13.2 per cent to 26.10 million tonne (MT) in April 2024 as buyers took fresh positions amid early onset of summer. The country had imported 23.05 MT of coal in the year-ago period, according to data compiled by B2B e-commerce company mjunction services ltd. This comes amid coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy stating that India should increase domestic production of the fossil fuel and reduce coal imports. "India's coal and coke imports in April 2024 through the major and non-major ports increased by 13.2 per cent over April 2023," the data showed. Of the total import in April, non-coking coal import stood at 17.40 MT against 15.15 MT in the year-ago month. Coking coal import was 4.97 MT against 4.77 MT. "There was an increase in volumes...Going ahead, there may be continued demand from both the power and non-regulated sectors due to pre-monsoon restocking," mjunction MD & CEO Vinaya Varma said. Coal imports in April were up by 8.93 per cent as ...

G7 commits to reduce 75% of methane emissions from fossil fuels by 2030

The document includes a pledge "to phase out existing unabated coal power generation in our energy systems during the first half of the 2030s", as agreed by G7 energy ministers in April

Energy firms are 'godfathers of climate chaos', should be taxed more: UN

UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres called Wednesday for a windfall tax on profits of fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming, calling them the godfathers of climate chaos. Guterres spoke in a bid to revive the world's focus on climate change at a time when elections, inflation and conflict in places like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan have seized the spotlight. In a speech timed for World Environment Day, the UN chief drew on new data and projections to make a case against Big Oil. The European Union's Copernicus service, a global reference for tracking world temperatures, said that last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th straight monthly record high. The service cited an average surface air temperature of 15.9 Celsius (60.6 Fahrenheit) last month or 1.52 degrees Celsius higher than the estimated May average before industrial times. The burning of fossil fuels oil, gas and coal is the main contributor to global warming caused by human ...

Fossil fuel capacity grows 2.44% in FY24; non fossil-fuel rises 11%

The country's fossil fuel-based power generation capacity increased 2.44 per cent to 243.22 GW in FY24 from 237.27 GW in March 2023, according to official figures. There was a 10.79 per cent rise in non-fossil fuel based capacity (renewable energy sources) addition at 190.57 gigawatt (GW) in 2023-24 over 172.01 GW in 2022-23, the government data showed. While the fossil fuel-based capacity includes power generation through coal, lignite, gas and diesel sources, the non-fossil fuel includes power generated from solar, wind and hydropower. The nuclear power capacity addition rose to 8.18 GW from 6.78 GW in the last fiscal year, posting a year-on-year rise of 20.64 per cent. In FY24, India's total power generation capacity rose 6.22 per cent to 441.97 GW over 416.06 GW, the data showed. The coal-based capacity increased around 3 per cent to 210.97 GW from 205.24 GW in the last financial year, and gas capacity rose marginally to 25.04 GW from 24.82 GW in FY23. The lignite- and ...

TotalEnergies signs deal with Oman to build LNG hub, eyes marine fuel mkt

TotalEnergies, which owns 5.54% of Oman LNG, will be supplied by the company for 10 years from 2025, they said in separate statements

Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, is finally preparing for long goodbye

Coal's days are numbered, of course. Advances in solar and wind have made those technologies far cheaper than coal power in most parts of the world, and similar gains for batteries

MNRE releases guidelines on use of green hydrogen in shipping sector

The government on Friday released guidelines for pilot projects on the use of green hydrogen in the shipping sector. The Scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of Rs 115 crore till the financial year 2025-26, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said in a statement. The 'Scheme Guidelines for implementation of Pilot projects for use of Green Hydrogen in the Shipping Sector' under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the MNRE said. Under the Mission, the MNRE will implement pilot projects in the shipping sector, for replacing fossil fuels and fossil fuel-based feedstock with green hydrogen and its derivatives. These pilot projects will be implemented through the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the implementing agencies nominated under this scheme. The pilot projects also target development of bunkering and refuelling facilities in ports on international shipping lanes for fuels based on green hydrogen. "Two areas have been identifi

World on cusp of last big refining boom as India starts capacity expansion

Expansions in the West are non-existent," said Giovanni Serio, Vitol Group's head of research

Zero-emission cars can tackle air pollution, cut oil imports: Tata Motors

Only zero emission cars can contribute towards a reduction in air pollution, cutting burgeoning fuel imports and attaining net zero targets, according to Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Managing Director Shailesh Chandra. Amid demands from a certain section of the industry to cut taxes levied on hybrid cars, Chandra said that such vehicles do not align with the key national objectives of achieving net carbon-zero target, improving air quality levels, and reducing fossil fuel imports. He noted that hybrid and CNG technologies in cars help in improving fuel efficiency and meeting emission-related regulatory compliances but cannot be compared with pure battery electric vehicles. In an interaction with PTI, Chandra said that the government already supports hybrid vehicles in terms of lower taxation and there is no need to bring those at par with electric vehicles. He noted that hybrid cars cannot be compared with EVs as they essentially run on polluting "fossil fuel". Chandra said that

India to rely on coal power until it becomes developed country: Yadav

India is committed to meeting the energy needs of its people and will continue to rely on coal power until it achieves developed country status, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadava said on Tuesday. Responding to a question at a press conference here, the minister also said India resisted pressure from developed countries to end the use of fossil fuels at the UN climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. He said India is committed to meeting the energy needs of its people and this cannot be done by just "importing oil and gas". "While we are increasing our renewable capacity, we will also have to rely on coal power until we achieve the objective of a developed India," he said. India relies on coal for about 70 per cent of its power generation and aims to add 17 gigawatts of coal-based power generation capacity in the next 16 months. Yadav said India "strongly resisted" the rich nations' call for limitations on new and unabated coal power generation. "We said you cannot

India resisted pressure from developed nations to phase out of fossils: Min

India resisted pressure from developed countries at the climate conference in the United Arab Emirates to end the use of fossil fuels, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said India is committed to meeting the energy needs of its people and this cannot be done by "just importing oil and gas". "While India is committed to increasing its renewable energy capacity, we will have to rely on coal power until we achieve the objective of developed India," he said. The minister said India accounts for 17 per cent of the global population but its contribution to global carbon emissions is just four per cent. "Poverty eradication is a priority for many nations. So, we did not accept the pressure from developed countries (for a fossil fuel phase-out)," Yadav said. The minister said developed nations, which account for a large part of historical emissions (since the start of the industrial revolution), are required to prov

How to assess the outcome of COP28

This year's UN Climate Conference, hosted by a petrostate and led by a fossil-fuel CEO, defied expectations with new commitments

Fossil fuel-based energy also essential for India: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the dependence on fossil fuels is definitely decreasing, but fossil fuel-based energy is also essential for India. India has always worked as a responsible country in the field of clean energy, Murmu said, addressing the National Energy Conservation Awards 2023 function here. "But we have also been making it clear from time to time that the dependence on fossil fuel is definitely decreasing but fossil fuel-based energy is also essential in our country," she stated. India is promoting clean coal technologies so that the processes of coal extraction and use become more efficient and environment friendly, she noted. It is the result of our commitment towards the environment that India has moved from 30th to 7th place in the ranking of the Climate Change Performance Index in a period of ten years, she said. The President opined that the health and happiness of all of us lie in the conservation and good health of nature. "If we make optimal ..

Making history, COP28 nations agree to 'transition away' from fossil fuels

Coal singled out for phasedown; India calls for climate equity and justice

Unexpected progress

COP28 agrees to 'transition away' from fossil fuels

UN COP28: Delegates sign deal to 'transition away' from fossil fuels

Negotiators at United Nations COP28 climate talks agreed on Wednesday that the world must transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels, a significant step toward shifting how the world is powered but one filled with questions about how soon and who will pay for the transition. COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled through the text at a plenary session in Dubai after more than two weeks of discussions that saw nations try and figure out a way for the world to stay in line with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. Countries were split between those wanting strong language on a phase-out of fossil fuels and others who wanted some way to continue burning oil, gas and coal. The new compromise had been floated early Wednesday after a global rallying cry stronger than proposed days earlier, but with loopholes that upset critics. The new proposal doesn't go so far as to seek a phase-out of fossil fuels, which more than 100 natio

COP28: Nations inch closer to historic deal on fossil fuel transition

After nearly two weeks of hectic negotiations, countries on Wednesday were on the verge of reaching a historic deal on a 'transition away from fossil fuels' while emerging economies like India and China strongly opposed the targeting of coal. This marks a step back from the earlier proposal of a 'phase-out of fossil fuels' that drew sharp criticism from many countries in the Global South and oil-reliant economies like Saudi Arabia. A draft cover decision of the Dubai climate talks released early in the morning called for a "deep, rapid, and sustained" reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 degree Celsius pathways in a "nationally determined" manner, taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances, pathways, and approaches. It lays an eight-point plan to achieve this, including a "transition away from fossil fuels" in energy systems in a "just, orderly and equitable manner", accelerating action in this decade, to achie

Lopsided COP28 boon for India's growing coal and crude oil appetite

India supports changes in global stocktaking text, but weak stand by rich nations to help the fossil fuel economy in the country