Expediting coal mining
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Saleque Sufi
The present government in Bangladesh has spent nearly one and half years in office. It is not that too short a period considering the maximum 5-year term of a government. But there is no positive indication that the government can achieve its election vision of adding substantial new power to the national grid. Despite all the projections that have been made, it is doubtful that they can possibly complete the installations of the required power plants.
The real hopes are not the rental power plants which are now being set up. The rental plants will provide limited power for a limited period of time. The real hopes are pinned on the coal-based plants to produce cheaper and abundant power on a sustainable basis. But where are the signs that coal would be mined soon to feed the power plants on the drawing boards ?
The efforts of coal exploitation are stuck in the quicksand of coal policy. When the country has mines and minerals act and mines and minerals rules, why do we need a coal policy? Do we have separate hard rock mining policy (but hard rock is mined now) or oil policy? Will we have iron policy, lime mining policy? How could Barapukuria coal mining start without a coal policy ?
If one checks the 9th draft of the proposed coal policy prepared after 4 years of struggle of non-coal miners, one can discover it is an extensive research paper having so much inherent conflicts and contradictions. Usually a policy is a brief, concise document discussing energy security, investment and resource mobilisation, the structure of implementation agency, impact management and resettlement and rehabilitation issues of mining. Based on such a policy, an act is made which leads to framing of rules. When we have mines and minerals acts and rules the initiative to formulate coal policy was to frustrate mining efforts which theoreticians could successfully do putting the nation in the present energy crisis. It is encouraging that the parliamentary standing committee on power and energy realises the necessity for finalising the coal policy urgently to commence mining.
But one thing we must remember. Bangladesh has almost zero capability of mining by itself. It even does not have enabling core technical or managerial group to efficiently monitor activities of a world class mining company. There is no opportunity to learn mining technology in the country. A coal policy cannot dictate technical aspects of mining -- like mining technique, mining methods, rate of mining. Economics will dictate mining method. If the extent of the resource recovery justifies investment in a particular method, including all costs of impacts management, that method must be applied.
We should also remember our coal has only 0.5 per cent sulphur and very little ash. The coal which is imported from across the border has much higher sulphur and ash content. It is polluting our environment while our cleaner coal remains buried.
Bangladesh must immediately start mining education. Some smart boys and girls after HSC exam should be offered scholarship to study mining engineering and mining technology on condition of serving Bangladesh after education and training.
Time is fast running out for the government. It will be impossible for them to reach anywhere near its energy sector vision if it fails to start coal mining in a proper way. For this they must evaluate the performance of the present energy sector management without bias and engage truly committed professionals to mean business.
The present government in Bangladesh has spent nearly one and half years in office. It is not that too short a period considering the maximum 5-year term of a government. But there is no positive indication that the government can achieve its election vision of adding substantial new power to the national grid. Despite all the projections that have been made, it is doubtful that they can possibly complete the installations of the required power plants.
The real hopes are not the rental power plants which are now being set up. The rental plants will provide limited power for a limited period of time. The real hopes are pinned on the coal-based plants to produce cheaper and abundant power on a sustainable basis. But where are the signs that coal would be mined soon to feed the power plants on the drawing boards ?
The efforts of coal exploitation are stuck in the quicksand of coal policy. When the country has mines and minerals act and mines and minerals rules, why do we need a coal policy? Do we have separate hard rock mining policy (but hard rock is mined now) or oil policy? Will we have iron policy, lime mining policy? How could Barapukuria coal mining start without a coal policy ?
If one checks the 9th draft of the proposed coal policy prepared after 4 years of struggle of non-coal miners, one can discover it is an extensive research paper having so much inherent conflicts and contradictions. Usually a policy is a brief, concise document discussing energy security, investment and resource mobilisation, the structure of implementation agency, impact management and resettlement and rehabilitation issues of mining. Based on such a policy, an act is made which leads to framing of rules. When we have mines and minerals acts and rules the initiative to formulate coal policy was to frustrate mining efforts which theoreticians could successfully do putting the nation in the present energy crisis. It is encouraging that the parliamentary standing committee on power and energy realises the necessity for finalising the coal policy urgently to commence mining.
But one thing we must remember. Bangladesh has almost zero capability of mining by itself. It even does not have enabling core technical or managerial group to efficiently monitor activities of a world class mining company. There is no opportunity to learn mining technology in the country. A coal policy cannot dictate technical aspects of mining -- like mining technique, mining methods, rate of mining. Economics will dictate mining method. If the extent of the resource recovery justifies investment in a particular method, including all costs of impacts management, that method must be applied.
We should also remember our coal has only 0.5 per cent sulphur and very little ash. The coal which is imported from across the border has much higher sulphur and ash content. It is polluting our environment while our cleaner coal remains buried.
Bangladesh must immediately start mining education. Some smart boys and girls after HSC exam should be offered scholarship to study mining engineering and mining technology on condition of serving Bangladesh after education and training.
Time is fast running out for the government. It will be impossible for them to reach anywhere near its energy sector vision if it fails to start coal mining in a proper way. For this they must evaluate the performance of the present energy sector management without bias and engage truly committed professionals to mean business.