Two Chinese crew onboard to bulk carrier Feng Hui Hai died on Sunday and another is in a critical condition at a hospital in India after inhaling toxic gas from a cargo of coal.

The ship had arrived at Jamnagar port yesterday carrying coal from Indonesia. One crewmember went into the hold on Sunday and was hit by coal gas with another two men sent in to help him.

Investigations into the accident are ongoing in India.

The 63,300 dwt Feng Hui Hai was just delivered to Cosco Shipping Bulk’s fleet by CSSC Huangpu Shipyard in June 2017.</s>China’s decision to impose fresh restrictions on imports of coal at some ports appears to have caused a sharp fall in inbound shipments of the polluting fuel. The measures, announced on April 16, included banning the unloading of imported coal at some ports and tightening customs clearances. While it’s still too early to discern a definitive trend, China’s seaborne coal imports slumped to 3.45 million tonnes in the week ended April 21, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts. This was down almost 30 percent on the 4.92 million tonne weekly average that was recorded from Jan. 1 to April 15. It’s also lower than the weekly average of 4.45 million tonnes for seaborne imports in 2017. It is possible that there are other factors at play in the slump in seaborne imports last week, including lower demand in the usually softer period between the northern winter and summer peaks.

But a decline of the magnitude seen last week suggests that the import restrictions had an immediate and profound impact. It’s believed the authorities in Beijing took the steps to crimp some imports as part of efforts to boost domestic thermal coal prices and production. Certainly, domestic thermal coal prices have benefited, with futures on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange jumping 9.8 percent last week to finish at 588.2 yuan ($93.51) a tonne on April 20, a three-week high. Prices for seaborne thermal coal were more subdued, with Argus Media’s assessment of the 5,500 kilocalorie per kilogram (kcal/kg) grade at Australia’s Newcastle port dropping fractionally over the week to end at $69.65 a tonne on April 20. This grade of coal is generally preferred by Chinese buyers, because of its discount to the higher-quality 6,000 kcal/kg coal, which is more usually sought by utilities in Japan and South Korea.

Since peaking this year at $86.74 a tonne in early February, cargoes of the 5,500 kcal/kg grade have dropped 19.7 percent, while those for the 6,000 kcal/kg are down by a more modest 12.4 percent from the peak in late February. It would be logical to expect the discount of 5,500 kcal/kg supplies to widen further if China does continue to restrict imports of coal in coming months. Falling prices would help open up India to Australia’s thermal coal supplies, although there is little sign yet that this is happening. The bulk of coal supplied to India from Australia is higher-quality coking coal, used to make steel.

Australian thermal coal cargoes generally struggle to find buyers in India given the higher price and transport costs when competing against supplies from the region’s other major exporters, Indonesia and South Africa. But the recent price decline for Australian 5,500 kcal/kg cargoes may make them competitive against similar grade coal from South Africa. Argus assessed 5,500 kcal/kg coal at South Africa’s Richards Bay port at $79.30 a tonne, well above the $69.65 for coal at Australia’s Newcastle port. Some of the difference will be eaten up by the longer sea journey from Australia’s east coast to India, but the likelihood is that Indian buyers may well be open to picking up any Australian cargoes that become distressed because of the recent Chinese restrictions.

However, coal prices may still be too high to attract significant Indian interest, given the South Asian nation generally is highly price sensitive and cuts back on imports when prices are strong, as they have been in recent months. Vessel-tracking and port data show that India imported 44.8 million tonnes of all grades of coal in the first quarter, a monthly rate of 14.9 million tonnes. This is below the monthly rate of 15.3 million tonnes for 2017, showing that while imported coal may well be needed in India, it’s probably still too expensive to be attractive.</s>Overall, 1,600 coal plants are planned or are under construction in 62 countries

Coal is King in India and Elsewhere



 India is going to use coal as its backbone energy for the next thirty years, is buying coal mines all around the world, and will double production by 2020 to a massive 1,500 million tons per annum. 1 At present the country accounts for eight percent of the world’s total coal consumption. About two-thirds of India’s electricity generation comes from coal.

India’s population is 1.35 billion. It is forecast to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation around 2024 The Narendra Modi government, which had set an ambitious 63,000 MW nuclear power capacity addition target by the years 2031-32, has cut it to 22,480 MW, or by roughly two-thirds. The drastic reduction in planned construction of new reactors will diminish India’s plans to rely on nuclear energy from 25% of electrical generation to about 8-10%. The balance of new power requirements will likely be met by use of India’s enormous coal deposits and others it purchases. 2 Despite the Narendra Modi government’s claims of being committed to the Paris climate agreement, India registered one of the largest increases in greenhouse gas emissions in 2016.3 India’s population is 1.35 billion. It is forecast to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation around 2024. At last count, 20% of India did not have electricity, which is about 270 million people still to be connected, presumably thanks to coal. 1 Energy problems are massive in India. In July 2012, the country suffered the largest electrical blackout in history, affecting an area encompassing about 670 million people, or roughly 10 percent of the world’s population. Three of the country’s interconnected northern power grids collapsed for several hours, as blackouts extended almost 2,000 miles, from India’s eastern border with Myanmar to its western border with Pakistan. 4 It had all the makings of a disaster movie. More than half a billion people without power. Trains motionless on the tracks. Miners trapped underground. Subway lines paralyzed. Traffic snarled in much of the national capital. For a country considered a rising economic power, Blackout Tuesday—which came a day after another major power failure—was an embarrassing reminder of the intractable problems still plaguing India. 4

So what does this mean for the Paris accord? So what does this mean for the Paris accord? Despite promises made in the accord, global emissions of carbon dioxide have continued to rise. Among the main factors contributing to rising emissions is the growing use of coal in developing countries in Asia and Africa and even some countries in Europe. As a result, a number of governments, including those of Germany and France have announced their countries will miss the near-term emissions reduction targets they set for themselves. 5 Germany is building 23 new coal fired power plants to overcome the very serious deficiencies of green energy despite bragging about their being a leader in the green energy transformation. 6 Overall, 1,600 coal plants are planned or are under construction in 62 countries. The new plants would expand the world’s coal fired power capacity by 43 percent. The fleet of new coal plants would make it virtually impossible to meet the goals set in the Paris climate accord. 7
• Joanne Nova, “India meets climate goals early by doubling coal, and keeping it as main energy source for next 30 years,” joannenova.com, May 17, 2017
• Joanne Nova,” A not so dead stranded asset: India chooses more coal, cancels 57 nuclear plants,” joannenova.com, April 17, 2018
• Dan Yurman, “India slashes plans for new nuclear reactors by two-thirds,” energypost, April 16, 2018
• Jim Yardley and Gardiner Harris, “2nd day of power failures cripples wide swath of India,” The New York Times, July 21, 2012

Only YOU can save CFP from Social Media Suppression. Tweet, Post, Forward, Subscribe or Bookmark us

Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology. He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.

Please adhere to our commenting policy to avoid being banned. As a privately owned website, we reserve the right to remove any comment and ban any user at any time.Comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal or abusive attacks on other users may be removed and result in a ban.-- Follow these instructions on registering</s>Two Chinese sailors were killed and one more took ill in a gas leak incident on board a cargo vessel off Navlakhi port in Morbi on Sunday.

The ship had loaded the coal from Indonesia and was bound for Navlakhi port on Morbi coast. “One of the crew members opened the door of a coal container and he was affected by the gas generated from the coal as it had remained packed for long. Two fellow crew members rushed in to help him but they too were affected by the gas. They were rushed to Jamnagar by a tug where the doctors declared two of them as brought dead while the third one is undergoing treatment,” Jamnagar Superintendent of police (SP) Pradip Shejul told The Indian Express.

The SP said that the cargo vessel had an all-Chinese crew. “We have contacted the agent who had imported the coal consignment and once he reaches Jamnagar, we shall get further details of the crew and the incident,” added Shejul.

He said that the vessel was anchored around 25 nautical miles off Navlakhi port and was in the process of offloading its cargo. “As the crew was affected by gas leakage they were brought to Jamnagar which is the nearest tertiary care centre,” said Shejul.

The three were taken to state government-run GG General Hospital in Jamnagar. “We don’t know much details of the incident but two bodies were brought to our hospital along with a third one who is in stable condition. The patient has some respiratory issues and since he doesn’t have any relatives around, he is in our care,” said Dr Nandini Mehta, medical superintendent of GG hospital.

The SP further added that the vessel had dropped anchor off Navlakhi port less than 24 hours ago and was waiting to be tugged into the port for offloading the coal consignment.

Major consignments of imported coal land in Navlakhi port, the coal is largely consumed by the ceramic tiles industry of Morbi district.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App</s>TWO CHINESE sailors were killed and at least one more was taken ill in an incident of gas leakage on board a cargo vessel off Navlakhi port in Morbi on Sunday. Police said the incident took place in a cargo vessel loaded with coal. The ship flying the Indonesian flag had loaded coal from Indonesia and was bound for Navlakhi port on Morbi coast.

“One of the crew members opened door of a coal container and he was affected by gas generated from the coal as it had remained packed for long. Two fellow crew members rushed to help him but they too were affected by the gas. They were rushed to Jamnagar by a tug. But doctors declared two of them dead on arrival, while the third one is undergoing treatment,” Jamnagar SP Pradip Shejul said.

The SP said that the cargo vessel had an all-Chinese crew. “We have contacted the agent who had imported the coal consignment and once he reaches Jamnagar, we shall know further details of the crew and the incident,” added Shejul. He said that the vessel was anchored around 25 nautical miles off Navlakhi port less than 24 hours ago and was in the process of offloading its cargo.

“Two bodies were brought to our hospital along with a patient. The patient has some respiratory issues,” said Dr Nandini Mehta, medical superintendent of G G hospital, Jamnagar.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App</s>Two Chinese nationals died while another one fell seriously ill after an incident of gas leakage on board a cargo ship near Navlakhi Port in Gujarat’s Morbi coast on Sunday.

According to reports, the ship “Feng Hui Ha” had loaded the coal from Indonesia and was on the way to Gujarat’s Navlakhi port for Jamnagar-based Scorpio Shipping Company. Speaking to The Indian Express, Pradip Shejul, Superintendent of police (SP) Jamnagar said, “One of the crew members opened the door of a coal container and he was affected by the gas generated from the coal as it had remained packed for long. Two fellow crew members rushed in to help him but they too were affected by the gas. They were rushed to Jamnagar by a tug where the doctors declared two of them as brought dead while the third one is undergoing treatment.”

According to reports, all the crew members on board were Chinese nationals and the ship was around 25 nautical miles away from Navlakhi Port when the incident took place. “We have contacted the agent who had imported the coal consignment and once he reaches Jamnagar, we shall get further details of the crew and the incident. As the crew was affected by gas leakage they were brought to Jamnagar which is the nearest tertiary care centre.” the SP told IE.

All the three crew members were taken to a local state government-run hospital, GG General Hospital in Jamnagar where the doctors declared two of them brought dead while the third person was having respiratory issues and is under treatment. “We don’t know much details of the incident but two bodies were brought to our hospital along with a third one who is in stable condition. The patient has some respiratory issues and since he doesn’t have any relatives around, he is in our care,” said Dr Nandini Mehta, medical superintendent of GG hospital to PTI.

The police is investigating the incident. “We are investigating the incident. The ship is still in sea,” the SP told to news agency PTI. The trio were identified as Zhang Baohai (55), Dong Kui (32), and Sun Yingdong.</s>New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar on Monday assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director (CMD) of state-owned Coal India Ltd.

Kumar, additional secretary with the coal ministry, has taken over from Central Coalfields Ltd CMD Gopal Singh, who was appointed as interim chairman of the world’s largest coal miner in September last year.

“Ministry of Coal...has entrusted the additional charge of CMD, CIL to Suresh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoC (Ministry of Coal). He has assumed the additional charge as CMD, CIL with effect from April 23, 2018,” Coal India said in a filing to the BSE.

Singh had succeeded Sutirtha Bhattacharya who retired from the post of Coal India CMD on 31 August 2017. Responding to a question on appointment of full-time CIL chairman, coal secretary Susheel Kumar had recently told PTI, “The process of approval (of full-time chairman) is on...I am not aware of the timelines.”

The government had last year began the hunt for a full-time Coal India CMD and invited applications from professionals from PSUs as well as the private sector. While inviting applications through an advertisement, the government had said “the applicants may submit their applications to the Ministry of Coal”.

The government head-hunter Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has earlier suggested that the centre may choose an appropriate course of action for selection of CMD for Coal India as it did not find any of the six candidates interviewed as fit for the top post. Coal India accounts for over 80% of domestic coal production.</s>The US saw a 61% increase in coal imports in 2017 compared to the year before.

The nation exported 97 million short tons (MMst) of coal, with exports to Asia more than doubling from 15.7MMst in 2016 to 32.8MMst last year – although Europe continues to be the largest recipient of US coal exports.

That’s according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), which suggests steam coal – used to generate electricity – accounted for most of the increase last year.

In Asia, India, South Korea and Japan were the top three recipients, with the former nation importing 7.6MMst of steam coal from the US – nearly three times as much as 2016 to meet growing power demand.

The EIA adds disruptions to coal supply from Australia and Indonesia – traditionally the main source of coal for many countries in Asia – meant they turned to imports from the US.
Two Chinese crewmen aboard MV Feng Hui Hai are overcome by coal gas in Jamnagar, India after a voyage from Indonesia. Another crewman is hospitalised.