China’s escalating push to rein in cryptocurrency mining was triggered in part by concern that the practice has stoked a surge in illicit coal extraction, endangering lives and undermining Xi Jinping’s ambitious environmental goals. Authorities decided to act after concluding the spike in electricity consumption from server farms underpinning Bitcoin and other tokens was a […]
Category: Coal
Transitioning from coal won’t be easy. India must ensure support for people and communities dependent on the sector
On March 3, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged wealthy nations to end coal use by 2030. On March 12, Jayant Sinha, former Minister of State for Finance, submitted a private bill to the Lok Sabha which urged the Indian government to commit to a net-zero emissions target by 2050. Subsequently, a torrent of analysis […]
ED to court: Mining accused paid Abhishek’s wife, sister-in-law ‘substantial amount’
THE ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a special court that TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujuira and her sister were paid “substantial amount” in London and Thailand by the key accused in the West Bengal illegal coal mining case. Abhishek is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The agency made the claim while […]
Coal pilferage: Abhishek dares Centre to start investigation against all culprits
A day after the BJP alleged the involvement of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in a coal pilferage case, he on Monday dared the Central government to initiate a probe against “all culprits”. “All coal assets fall directly under Centre & are guarded by the Central agencies. If BJP thinks TMC leaders got money from those […]
Coal scam: Supreme Court replaces judge hearing cases since 2014 with two special judges
The Supreme Court Monday appointed two special judges to conduct the trial in the coal scam cases, replacing judge Bharat Parashar who has been hearing the cases since 2014. Judges Arun Bharadwaj and Sanjay Bansal, both district and sessions judges heading special CBI courts, will now hear over 40 cases relating to the coal scam. […]
ED arrests Bengal cop in coal pilferage case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested West Bengal police officer Ashok Mishra in a case of coal pilferage, agency officials said on Sunday. Mishra, the inspector in charge of Bankura police station for the past three years, was arrested on Saturday night. Sources said the EC summoned the officer for questioning and then arrested him. […]
Bengal police officer arrested by Enforcement Directorate in coal pilferage case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested West Bengal police officer Ashok Mishra in connection with the coal pilferage case, officials said on Sunday. Mishra, the inspector-in-charge of the Bankura police station, was arrested on Saturday night from Delhi, they said. He is alleged to have links with Anup Majhi, alias Lala, who is considered to be […]
Goa Opposition MLAs protest in Assembly after discussion over coal block ‘postponed’
Opposition MLAs in the Goa Assembly attacked the BJP government on Tuesday after it sought postponement of its reply to a question over the status of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh which was allotted to Goa by the Union government. Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, as well as Goa Forward Party (GFP) legislators Vijai Sardesai, […]
Commercial use auction: Govt offers 67 coal blocks in 2nd tranche
THE CENTRAL government on Thursday launched the second tranche of coal block auctions for commercial use, offering 67 mines including 7 coking ones, in the largest such auction since the start of the auction regime. The announcement marks the beginning of rolling auctions of coal mines, under which any unsold mine will continuously be available […]
Banishing coal for power holds key to India’s net-zero goal
India must phase out its coal-fired power plants by the middle of this century to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by that time, according to a new report on the challenges that’ll be posed in setting more ambitious climate targets. The nation will need to progressively reduce coal’s share in electricity generation, currently at about […]
Oppn parties protesting, Bill to amend mining norms clears Rajya Sabha
Amid protests by the Opposition, Rajya Sabha Monday passed The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021. The Bill proposes to remove restrictions of end-use for future auctions of mineral mining rights, allow operators of existing captive mines to sell up to 50 per cent of minerals extracted in a year, and empower […]
The world’s three biggest coal users get ready to burn even more
The world’s three biggest consumers of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, are getting ready to boost usage so much that it’ll almost be as if the pandemic-induced drop in emissions never happened. U.S. power plants are going to consume 16% more coal this year than in 2020, and then another 3% in 2022, the Energy […]