Academics object to 'expensive' US coal purchase

[webfact]

Academics object to ‘expensive’ US coal purchase

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

ACADEMICS AND activists have cast doubt over the coal purchasing contract between Thailand and the United States, claiming it is too expensive, domestic coal demand is low and the deal breaches the country’s pledge to contain greenhouse gas emissions.
 

The Foreign Affairs Minister said yesterday that during Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s official visit to the US, Thailand had agreed to buy 50,000–60,000 tonnes of coal from the US.

 

Both environmental activists and academics have expressed that the deal was both illogical and contrary to global efforts to mitigate climate change.

 

Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace South East Asia said that while it was not a surprise for Prayut and US President Donald Trump to have signed such an agreement, the deal would harm Thailand and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was also strange from a business point of view.

 

“I still have not seen the details of this deal yet but it is sure to be a huge reverse on global efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and against the global trend that has been moving on toward renewable energy,” Tara said.

 

“President Trump has made it clear that it is his policy to bring back the US coal industry to its former glory and this is one of his plans – but in my opinion he cannot resist the global renewable energy trend, and this will harm our country’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint.”

 

Trump had earlier pledged during his election campaign to revive the US coal industry and regenerate employment in the industry.

 

Tara said signing the sales agreement with Thailand was indicative of Trump seizing his chance to further his pro-fossil fuel and it would give Thailand a bad name on the international stage, as we had given promise on Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

He also said he believed the deal would be overly expensive because the coal would have to be shipped across the Pacific Ocean and the logistic costs would be enormous compared with coal from Indonesia or Australia, which are good quality and much closer to home.

 

Chulalongkorn University’s Energy Research Institute director Kulayos Udomwongseri agreed with Tara that the deal might not be good business, pointing to the high transport costs and the low demand for coal in Thailand.

 

“This deal would only be worth it if the coal from the US was very high quality,” Kulayos said. “Then it would be worth spending a lot of money transporting it across the Pacific Ocean – but Thailand already gets quality coal from Indonesia and Australia.”

 

Moreover, he pointed out that Thailand’s own coal-fired power plants already had their own supply. In fact, many even had contracts to supply coal to overseas buyers.

 

Therefore, he said the government should carefully reconsider this purchase agreement with the US.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30328382

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-04

 

[tracker1]

Had to do something to make Trump happy ! can always store it like a lot of other things purchased at a cost to the people ! airship, aircraft carrier bomb detectors Im sure the list goes on

[Bob12345]

Guess it will be difficult for Prayut to make a u-turn here, like on most of this other brilliant ideas and agreements that fall apart days after the announcement when the media tears it apart.

[JAG]

1 hour ago, tracker1 said:

Had to do something to make Trump happy ! can always store it like a lot of other things purchased at a cost to the people ! airship, aircraft carrier bomb detectors Im sure the list goes on

I think you're onto something there. By my calculation 50,000 tons of coal would be sufficient to build a "bund" 30 meters high around a parking lot big enough to hide all those fire engines, the "Malaysian" buses, and a deflated blimp. It's organic material, so it will keep old Meechai burbling on for months, and it will act as a visible reminder of Thailand's determination to adjust it's trade imbalance.

A master stroke of diplomacy and pragmatism, and a permanent reminder of the diplomatic triumph which has been achieved in recent days in Washington!

 

[Cadbury]

These academic dunces working themselves into a lather about imports of 50,000 tonnes of coal from the US? This is not even a decent shipload. Thailand imports a total of around 18 million tonnes of coal a year so the 50,000 tonnes represents 0.3%.

 

[yellowboat]

It was the smartest thing to do in order to stroke the Donald's ego and change nothing when it comes to the ridiculously high tariffs.   It is a win for the Junta and the elites. 

[leeneeds]

50,000 tons usa  50,000 tons N K 

A sure way to stay neutral 

[maximillian]

Did Trump pull Prayut over the table ?

[inThailand]

Thai's would have preferred whitening cream! 

[robertthesculptor]

Stupid buynot good for the US which should faze out coal mining and Thailand which has an amazing wealth of wind, sun, and water.should be mining those !!!

[tbthailand]

The bozo shaking the moron's hand, ... 

 

re: coal, keep it in the ground. <deleted>, how much sunshine does Thailand have?  Wind? Waves?

[SABloke]

50,000 Tonnes. SO $2,000,000. Wow - that's a trade deal between countries if I ever saw one 

[djayz]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

President Trump has made it clear that it is his policy to bring back the US coal industry to its former glory and this is one of his plans

Doesn't he keep up with modern trends in the renewable energy sector and the changing attitudes towards fossil fuels? 

 

[over it]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

it would give Thailand a bad name on the international stage

[Psimbo]

6 minutes ago, djayz said:

Doesn't he keep up with modern trends in the renewable energy sector and the changing attitudes towards fossil fuels? 

 

No- there's not a lot of sun in West Virginia and Pennsylvania where his coal mining buddies hail from.

[Ulic]

Well they are building a coal fired power plant so they have to

fuel it from somewhere. 

[inThailand]

What ever happened to the plan to build nuclear power plants here?

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

It was the smartest thing to do in order to stroke the Donald's ego and change nothing when it comes to the ridiculously high tariffs.   It is a win for the Junta and the elites. 

You make a valid point but I think the "win" will be short lived. POTUS may well have just been sizing up PMT and showing Prayut his hospitality while stroking his huge ego and massaging his vanity. 

I think crunch time will come later when Trump gets serious about the out of whack trade situation. I can't envisage POTUS allowing Thailand to take the mickey out of the US when it comes to trade.

[Stargeezr]

While the USA has coal to ship out to other countries, it does not care a wink about

the Climate change, or other climate problems. After all India is still building coal fired

power plants as well, so it is not just Thailand that uses coal, Russia uses lots of coal

and so does China.  Green energy is not the only way to go!  Wind power with all those windmills

kills lots of birds, and solar energy takes lots of land to have the solar arrays to work.

  Bring on the coal.

Geezer

[Cadbury]

5 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

Guess it will be difficult for Prayut to make a u-turn here, like on most of this other brilliant ideas and agreements that fall apart days after the announcement when the media tears it apart.

And when his 5 minute brain busting ideas do unravel he can always be relied upon to blame someone else. After all he is perfect in every way and does not make mistakes.

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

You make a valid point but I think the "win" will be short lived. POTUS may well have just been sizing up PMT and showing Prayut his hospitality while stroking his huge ego and massaging his vanity. 

I think crunch time will come later when Trump gets serious about the out of whack trade situation. I can't envisage POTUS allowing Thailand to take the mickey out of the US when it comes to trade.

China today, I was told, is starting to put more pressure in North Korea.  Not sure how much money Kim makes with is businesses here.  By cracking down on North Korea, Thailand can curry favor and the US may not push too hard on trade. 

 

Autocracies are easier to control when they go up against an elected leader.  They can be forced to make decisions on the spot as they answer to nobody. 

[Cadbury]

Yes Prayut might toughen up on N. Korean business in Thailand to please the US. But that might put Thailand on Kim Jong-un's neighbourly rocket hit list.

Recent history has it Thai military they are not recognised for their courage against serious enemies and are more inclined toward roll-over and collaboration.

Although Prayut is adorned with medals none of those ever involved combat. I suspect if he was faced with a rocket threat by N. Korea he would follow the tradition of previous chicken little Thai generals. That would involve protecting N. Korean business interests. We will have to wait and see which way the winds of courage blow.

[candide]

6 hours ago, Cadbury said:

These academic dunces working themselves into a lather about imports of 50,000 tonnes of coal from the US? This is not even a decent shipload. Thailand imports a total of around 18 million tonnes of coal a year so the 50,000 tonnes represents 0.3%.

 

Actually, it's nearly an insult. Like "ok I buy a pack of chewing-gums"! 

Edited October 4, 2017 by candide

[IAMHERE]

I have seen coal trains in the USA. Four of these trains haul about 50-60,000 tons. Four train loads, wonder what portion of a ship that is. Doesn't seem to be much in dollars or tons of coal. Small potatoes. There are plenty ships returning to Thailand that come across the Pacific empty, won't cost much to transport that bit of coal.

[djayz]

8 hours ago, Psimbo said:

No- there's not a lot of sun in West Virginia and Pennsylvania where his coal mining buddies hail from.

But surely they have wind and rivers there, right? ?

 

Just kidding. I understand your point - simething I honestly hadn't considered before posting.

 

 

 

 

[worgeordie]

No time frame given, will arrive in 5 ton loads every week.

regards worgeordie

[Srikcir]

Trump to Prayut:

"Either the US ships 50,000 tons of coal to Thailand or American 50,000 troops."

Your choice.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Srikcir
"

[johnarth]

10 hours ago, Cadbury said:

These academic dunces working themselves into a lather about imports of 50,000 tonnes of coal from the US? This is not even a decent shipload. Thailand imports a total of around 18 million tonnes of coal a year so the 50,000 tonnes represents 0.3%.

 

some sense was spoken here

[PETERTHEEATER]

Ah, but this is quality clean burning coal from Pennsylvania (?). All government hisos are to be issued with Chinese made and designed coal burning gas generators that will power their domestic air conditioning units and provide combustible gas to power their converted Mercs and Beemas thus proving the reality of the establishment's Green Policy.

 

( Note to self - Sometimes I'm so smart I make myself sick......)

 

 

[Reigntax]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

No time frame given, will arrive in 5 ton loads every week.

regards worgeordie

 

Its currently being added to the 20 year roadmap

Edited October 4, 2017 by Reigntax