Continuous and uninterrupted energy supply is essential for
growth of an economy. There have been several discussions, pacts, agreements,
arguments and treaties to discuss about use of various energy source. Emphasis
has always been on promoting use of non -conventional renewable energy sources such
as solar, wind etc. Conventional non – renewable energy sources such as coal,
fossil fuels, petroleum and natural gas have been a cause of environmental
pollution and hence their use has been discouraged.
But in past few years for countries that relied on nuclear energy for civilian use such as Japan coal has emerged as the best alternative to replacing its 54 nuclear reactors, which are deeply unpopular with the population and seen as symbols of devastation after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster six years ago. On February 1, the Japanese government pledged to decommission all reactors and replace them with 45 new coal-fired power plants equipped with the latest clean coal technology.Similarly, in several Asian countries such as China, India, etc. the only way to reconcile energy demands of an increasing population with public outcry over emissions and pollution is by finding cost-effective ways of integrating low-emissions coal technology into their power infrastructure.India’s policymakers, must deal with rapid development and population growth that make coal indispensable to meeting the expected 3.5 percent increase in year-on-year demand for electricity between now and 2040. At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi need to urgently tackle an air pollution crisis that contributes to over a million premature deaths every year. India’s deadly smog is not just the result of growing industrial activity, but it also stems from illegal practices like the crop burning and reliance on wood burning for cooking and heating homes.
But, Coal burning has several disadvantages to the human as well to the environment, due to pollution, greenhouse gases accumulation, various health hazards, etc. It is also a major culprit of the ongoing climate crisis, as the bi product of coal burning is the carbon, which is the key frontier in greenhouse gases. The hazards of coal go far and wide, from environmental degradation during mining, during its transportation, and even after its use it stays in the atmosphere without disintegrating for a long time, unraveling one hazard after the other.
China is trying to limit coal use to improve air quality in major cities and India’s government has stated that it wants coal imports to drop to zero. China is the world largest manufacturer of Solar Panels since 2008 and has drastically increased its capacity from 9 MW to 77,420 in the last 6 years.World Bank President Jim Yong Kim noted that countries in south and southeast Asia were on track to build hundreds of more coal-fired power plants in the next 20 years — despite promises made at Paris to cut greenhouse gas emissions and pivot to a clean energy future. China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam account for three-quarters of new coal-fired power plants expected to be built around the world in the next five years.
President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord drew a quick international rebuke, illustrating a new reality emerging across the global energy landscape. This has opened the way for other large developing nations, especially China and India, to seize the mantle of leadership in tackling climate change. The rapid rise of affordable renewables focused on cleaner energy is likely to sparkle the many Asian countries with improved quality of life and sustainable society. Energy could be either cheap or green previously, but now they can now be cheap and green.
A fact-finding mission, published by UNESCO and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on August 2016, found that the proposed site of the Rampal coal power plant would expose the downriver forests to pollution and acid rain. The statement also warned Bangladesh that the Sundarbans forest reserve would be considered for possible inscription on the list of world heritage in danger at the next meeting of the World Heritage Committee in 2017. As a signatory of Paris climate agreement, Bangladesh opting for coal-fired power plant continues to send the wrong message to the rest of the world, whereas India and China are both under fire for their profligate use of coal.
In this backdrop, the solar-powered revolution is ongoing as the Indian government announced that it would become the world’s “first solar nation” by 2021. In partnership with the World Bank, it plans to set up 21 million households with solar power by 2017, which currently accounts for only a fraction (about 200 MW) of the total power supply. Solar power with its current phase can’t be the universal answer to Bangladesh’s growing energy needs, but the program is an example of a renewable, environmentally sensitive project. There’s a lesson in front of Bangladesh: India’s solar revolution has been held up as a beacon of hope – with recent news of record low solar prices in India — celebrated as a victory for renewable energy over coal. However, India to add 8.8GW in new solar capacity this year will overtake Japan as the third largest solar market worldwide after China and the US. Apart from solar energy initiatives, several wind resource assessment programs are initiated in the country. Thus, coal disillusion in Asia is a widely discussed topic with intrigue.
