Chinese Traders Increasing Coal Imports from Russia & Mongolia while Dumping Australian Coal

[Daniel808]

Chinese traders increasing coal imports from Russia, Mongolia
By GT staff reporters
Published: Jan 12, 2021 11:38 AM

A machine unloads coal imports at a port in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province, on December 3, 2016. Photo: CFP

Chinese traders are importing more coal from neighboring countries such as Russia and Mongolia, bringing the security of a healthy supply chain amid the backdrop of global uncertainty and disruption from the epidemic.

Fujian Guohang Ocean Shipping (Group) Co has signed an agreement with Russian coal supplier Elga Coal to set up a joint venture to export coking coal to China. The agreement is expected to escalate the imports of Russian coal by 30 million tons, nearly doubling the total Russian export volume of coal to China from 33 million in 2019, Nikkei reported on January 6.

Chinese coal traders are looking for more cooperation in the north in a bid to diversify supply chains as demand for raw materials is seeing a rising trend amid the production resumption and the cold weather, industry experts said.

As of 2019, China’s top five trading countries for coal are Indonesia, Australia, Russia, Mongolia and the Philippines.

While there may be no big change in structure, there will be some change in share, Zhao Jianguo, secretary-general of China's Coal Transportation Association, told the Global Times on Monday.

Data from industry website cctd.com.cn showed that China imported 75 million tons of coal from Australia in 2019, the same as the previous year, with average monthly imports of 6.31 million tons.

Meanwhile, Chinese suppliers are now diversifying their options in a bid to alleviate the risks from over-dependence on certain sources.

"Now the pattern of coal imports has begun to change. For companies engaged in coal imports, there is also a need to be cautious and balance the impact of certain risks on coal imports,” Guan Dali, an energy analyst at First Futures, told the Global Times.

Last September, Mongolia replaced Australia as the top coking coal supplier to China.

The rise of imports from Mongolia is being facilitated by increased shipping capacity thanks to the launch of the China-Mongolia "green channel" in August, which aims to boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the joint project between Fujian Guohang Ocean Shipping (Group) Co and Elga Coal, Russia’s coal supplies to China are also seeing a stronger trend.

"It will be a definite trend for China and Russia to find deeper space for cooperation in the energy sector, including coal,” Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday, noting that companies are also buying more from Russia because they are worried about uncertainty over Australia's policy toward China.

"There is also not much difference in the quality and price between Russian and Australian coal,” said Lin.

Meanwhile, with the tightened sea transport due to the epidemic and other factors, the China-Europe freight train that offers relatively stable capacity and costs is playing a significant role in the sustainability of regional trade, noted Lin.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202101/1212532.shtml


Good, more imports for Russian and Mongolian coal. Their coal have very good quality

https://twitter.com/x/status/1348842149727629312

 

[Daniel808]

With Clean Coal Technology Development from China

https://twitter.com/x/status/1341035410093387780

https://twitter.com/x/status/1340945135803101184

Clean Coal Power Plants in China

 

[S10]

We should move away as much as possible from fossil fuel (coal, gas, oil) and focus on nuclear and renewable energy sources.

 

[GS Zhou]

We should move away as much as possible from fossil fuel (coal, gas, oil) and focus on nuclear and renewable energy sources.

that's the ultimate target, not an easy job to be done swiftly. But for now, I think China is the country with the biggest installed capacity of solar power and wind power, also the country with the most nuclear power plants under construction

 

[Indos]

that's the ultimate target, not an easy job to be done swiftly. But for now, I think China is the country with the biggest installed capacity of solar power and wind power, also the country with the most nuclear power plants under construction

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the example of why having a nuclear power plant is dangerous.

 

[GS Zhou]

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the bad example of having a nuclear power plant.

that's a fair point.

For the Fukushima alike natural disaster, what we could do is to improve the design and make the nuclear power plant as strong as possible;

For military attack, we leave it to PLA, not just the deployment of better air defense systems, but also more nuclear weapons from the PLA rocket army. Any attack on our nuclear power plants will be seen as nuclear attack to China, and we will do the nuclear revenge.

 

[Daniel808]

We should move away as much as possible from fossil fuel (coal, gas, oil) and focus on nuclear and renewable energy sources.

Of course. China is a Leader in Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy (Sun, Water, Wind etc) Power Plants Construction in this world.

But Clean Coal also can become an interesting interim alternative for next decade while we achieving this


China's Greenest Coal Plant sets Record
By Chen Ziyan | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-09-25 10:52

A view of China's first near-zero emission IGCC demonstration project, based in North China's Tianjian. [Photo/IC]

Tianjin's coal-fired integrated gasification combined cycle power plant has set a new record, with running 3,917 hours or around 163 days continuously, the longest such operation duration in the world.
As China's first near-zero emission IGCC demonstration project, the Tianjin IGCC is a major part of the Green Coal Power Program initiated by Huaneng Group in 2004. It is also among the most efficient coal-fired power stations globally.

IGCC is a clean coal technology that turns coal into a synthetic gas, removing impurities before the gas is burned in a turbine.

The Tianjin demonstration IGCC power plant started construction in Sept 2009 and was put into operation in 2012, with an installed capacity of 265 megawatts.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201809/25/WS5ba9a30aa310c4cc775e7ec7.html

China Clean Coal Power Plant

 

[TaiShang]

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the example of why having a nuclear power plant is dangerous.

Another required policy is to strongly promote an RE-based electricity grid in NEA to be ultimately connected with the proposed ASEAN grid.

There are already various cross-country grids in maritime ASEAN region, CN-Mongolia, CN-RU and in the Mekong region.

We need a true East Asian supergrid based on RE.

 

[Daniel808]

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the example of why having a nuclear power plant is dangerous.

Incident in the past (Chernobly & Fukushima) should not stop us for embracing Nuclear Technology.

Both Chernobly & Fukushima Reactors are Old Second Generation.

Meanwhile, China today already have Gen 3 Nuclear Reactors (Hualong One Reactor) and already mass produced that. Which have much higher safety level than former generation.

These include improved fuel technology, superior thermal efficiency, significantly enhanced safety systems (including passive nuclear safety), and standardized designs for reduced maintenance and capital costs.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen...de improved fuel technology,(an ABWR) in 1996.



They also now Developing Gen 4 Reactors, much safer for sure

China Gen 3 Nuclear Reactor (Hualong One Reactor)

 

[Indos]

that's a fair point.

For the Fukushima alike natural disaster, what we could do is to improve the design and make the nuclear power plant as strong as possible;

For military attack, we leave it to PLA, not just the deployment of better air defense systems, but also more nuclear weapons from the PLA rocket army. Any attack on our nuclear power plants will be seen as nuclear attack to China, and we will do the nuclear revenge.

@TaiShang

I would rather suggest to be patience for a while, waiting for solar energy to be really efficient and cheap enough. 20 years from now, I think solar panel being put in our house can generate enough electricity that will reduce the need to have conventional power plants greatly.

 

[Daniel808]

that's a fair point.

For the Fukushima alike natural disaster, what we could do is to improve the design and make the nuclear power plant as strong as possible;

For military attack, we leave it to PLA, not just the deployment of better air defense systems, but also more nuclear weapons from the PLA rocket army. Any attack on our nuclear power plants will be seen as nuclear attack to China, and we will do the nuclear revenge.

For military attack,

Nuclear reactor itself different from oil refineries. Nuclear Reactor is like a bunker.
So anyone want to touch the reactor need High-tech weapon like Bunker Buster bomb.
Which only a few countries have that technology.

Most Nuclear Reactors under construction in China at this moment are Gen 3 Reactors (Hualong One Reactor).
Which have Passive Nuclear Safety feature, so in case of any emergency it can easily shut down itself without any human intervention.

Nuclear Reactor also part of Strategic Asset in China which under Protection of Highly-complex SAM umbrella.
China is not Saudi Arabia, in terms of protecting their Strategic Asset.


Anyway, if that enemy country can pass all of that. And somehow, make a kaboom in China Nuclear Power Plants.

That can be seem as Nuclear Attack on Chinese Territory under International law, and China will have solid reason to retaliate with Nuclear Missiles to the host country.

I don't think, any country would be so stupid like that. Even those warmongering terrorist will not do that, that's why Al-QAEDA target WTC towers not US nuclear power plant

 

[GS Zhou]

I would rather suggest to be patience for a while, waiting for solar energy to be really efficient and cheap enough. 20 years from now, I think solar panel being put in our house can generate enough electricity that will reduce the need to have conventional power plants greatly.

solar power is a very nice supplement power resource, but it can never take the role of conventional power plants.

Most of the urban residents in China live in high buildings, e.g. 10 to 20 storey. The roof top based solar panels cannot help them.

 

[JSCh]

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the example of why having a nuclear power plant is dangerous.

FYI,

The Hualong One uses a double-layer safety shell design. Together with the inner protective dome, the outer dome protects the reactor and prevents the release of radioactive materials into the environment in the event of a serious accident. The inner steel dome - measuring almost 47 metres in diameter and over 23m in height, and weighing about 340 tonnes - was installed on the containment building of Fuqing 6 on 21 March 2018.

On 25 July, the outer steel dome - measuring about 53m in diameter and 13m in height, and weighing about 420 tonnes - was installed using a 3200-tonne crawler crane. The steel dome will now be covered with a concrete shell.

The Hualong One double-layer containment shell can withstand the impact of large aircraft, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The outer dome is "currently the largest shell structure of nuclear power plants under construction in the world", the company said. It has the characteristics of a large structural span, dense steel bars and high-strength concrete.

In particular,

"The Hualong One double-layer containment shell can withstand the impact of large aircraft"​

​

Most new Chinese nuclear power plant would be Generation III nuclear reactor and would have that same capabilities.

On dependent of uranium supply, China is looking into closed nuclear fuel cycle. Which could greatly increase the utilization of the Uranium ore.

29 December 2020

Construction work has started on the second CFR-600 sodium-cooled pool-type fast-neutron nuclear reactor in Xiapu County, in China's Fujian province. Also known as the Xiapu fast reactor demonstration project, the CFR-600 is part of China's plan to achieve a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

And planning for far future of unlimited fuel supply, hopefully China can get Nuclear Fusion working.

 

[S10]

Having large nuclear power plants can also increase country vulnerability, particularly uranium based. What will happen if some one struck the power plants using cruise missile ? We know what happen during Saudi-Yemen war right ? Yemen fighter use cruise missile/suicide drone to attack Saudi oil facility. Fukushima disaster is also one of the example of why having a nuclear power plant is dangerous.

The containment buildings of new reactors can withstand an airliner striking it directly. The exterior shell is built with steel reinforced concrete, as much as a meter thick. In addition, all new reactors are capable of shutting down in seconds and have passive safety features.

Both Fukushima and Chernobyl were Gen 2 reactors, while we're on Gen 3+ now.

 

[fallstuff]

China punishing Australia.