Want some really dry international pellet info?

Check this out, tells me that coal is gunna be around for a long long time....
http://argusmedia.com/Bioenergy/~/media/53CB4C4BDE1243A4B235237868ED9FB7.ashx

 

Something to do with global warming/climate change. Here in Canada, they're shutting down the coal-fired power plants in a hurry while electricity rates are shooting up in Ontario and probably in the other provinces too. They are weaning away from cheap abundance fuel for the pricier alternative, meanwhile if you use the latest technology stack scrubbers we might be further ahead. Poor decisions are made everyday by the overpaid government decision makers

 

As you are probably perfectly aware, same thing is going on here in the states by you-know-who in the White House. Throwing the coal industry under the bus as fast as he can.

 

Oil and gas used to be the backup power generators - for during peak loads. When they fired up, you knew the load on the grid was extremely high. Now the most volatile priced fuels are providing the base load of our electrical power - and we will be paying for it.
If you buy your power wholesale, you've already been paying for it for the last 3 years.

 

Australia is heading for the perfect storm.
Our economy is export driven; iron ore and coal.
We avoided the GFC due to the strength of China. The downside of that is we have gotten fat and lazy off the back of the mining companies. This has seen the demise of manufacturing in this country as our iron ore is returned from China in the form of, well, everything.

This has all been fine and dandy as China has powered along but the tide is turning there now. This has seen the need for energy and base metals decline with the consequent slide in prices. The mining companies have streamlined their operations to survive the low margin environment so the excesses of the last decade are gone. No free lunch at AGMs any more.

The flow on effect goes beyond and army of sacked, overpaid, fly in fly out tradies coming home. Tax receipts are dropping like a stone so government is under extreme pressure. Everything needs to be cut but no one wants to lose their piece of pie.

I am not complaining, it is what it is. Globalisation has been the catchcry of the last 20 years. What Australians have failed to realise is that Globalisation is equalisation. In casting our lot with China inevitably our standard of living will merge with theirs. As an entrepreneur I understand the concept of living to your income and the reality of making do with far less money. If you have to downsize, drive a chitty car then so be it. Your average Joe salary has no concept of this. The fight to get more is a God given right. The problem now is it more often than not ends with unemployment.

No doubt global warming is real. Yes the world must find solutions. But that is seriously to the detriment of Australia, the worlds coal mine. Yes we have heaps of Uranium too but coal is king. Thermal coal here is $10/tonne and the power stations are built by the pits. Nothing is as cheap as that not even close.

Our governments are getting smashed by voters for supporting any kind of renewables. Everyone bleats about wanting to be green, as long as someone else pays for it. There are huge costs to everyone in going green. We had a carbon tax, the government got turfed out and now the tax is gone. Don't get me wrong, I have been in Beijing on a smoggy day, something must be done. Just don't expect Aussies to chip much in, it is definitely not in our own interest.

 

Unfortunately Ivan, this technology is just an elaborate con.
No where enough money is being spent on the development of these potential technologies. It is a bit like carbon sequestration, or electric/hydrogen cars; basically bullchit until big business really takes it seriously as opposed to just using it as a pr smokescreen.