Dr. Paul Chugh, professor in the SIUC department of Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering, contributed to a report on sustainable coal development recently released by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. The report, entitled "Sustainable Use of Coal and Pollution Control Policy in China" discusses the current status of the coal industry and future potential, research findings, policy recommendations, and more. A small excerpt:
Energy, especially coal which is dominant in China’s energy structure, constitutes the basis for the development of national economy. Even though the coal-dominating energy consumption structure has produced many environmental and social problems, it is still in wide use because China's petroleum and natural gas reserve per capita is only 7.7% and 7.1% respectively of the world's average. For many years coal occupied a ratio of 70% of the energy production and consumption structure in China. In 2007 its ratio in gross energy production reached 76.6% and that in gross consumption 69.5%. Energy consumption has been on rise with the development of the national economy, the process of urbanization, and the increase in the consumption of urban and rural residents. At the same time, China has actively developed hydropower, nuclear power, wind power and other new energy sources. In 1978, hydropower, nuclear power, wind power production accounted for 3.1% of the total energy production, and had increased to 8.2% in 2007. The proportion increased unceasingly in the energy production constitution. However, on the other hand, it is predictable that coal will remain the major energy resource in energy consumption structure in China for a long period in the future.
Read the full report (pdf).
