Governments across Asia are intensifying their reliance on coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, to cover massive energy shortfalls allegedly triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. This move has sparked warnings from climate experts who highlight coal's devastating environmental impact and argue that the energy crisis should serve as a wake-up call for governments to invest in renewables, which can provide a more stable supply less exposed to price shocks.
Across the region, from Bangladesh to South Korea, authorities are scrambling to compensate for a decline in imported energy, much of which originates from the Middle East. South Korea has announced it will delay the shutdown of coal-fired power plants and lifted caps on coal-based electricity, while Thailand's government increased output at its largest coal plant. The Philippines, which declared a “national energy emergency” purportedly due to the war, also plans to boost operations of its coal-fired power plants.
In South Asia, India, which relies on coal for nearly 75% of its power generation, has ordered its coal plants to run at maximum capacity and avoid planned outages, and Bangladesh increased coal-fired power generation and imports in March. Governments are racing to overcome shortages, particularly in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, which has been promoted as a bridge fuel in the transition from coal to cleaner energy—though research indicates exported gas emits more greenhouse gases than coal.
Many countries in the region depend on LNG for electricity generation and industries like fertilizer manufacturing. Demand in Asia had been forecast to double over the next 25 years. However, supplies have been disrupted by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global LNG shipments pass. Strikes on a major LNG export facility in Qatar will exacerbate the shortage and have a years-long impact on the industry, experts say.
Henning Gloystein, managing director of energy and resources at Eurasia Group, stated that nearly 30 billion cubic meters of LNG has been removed from global supply chains, with over 80% missing in the Indo-Pacific region. The last cargoes that passed through the strait before the conflict escalated will arrive next week. He said, “The global market has flipped within four weeks from quite a healthy supply surplus … into a very severe deficit – and that’s going to not just lead to price spikes, but real fuel shortages.” He added, “Those countries that have coal reserves will be [using] that because it’s the fastest, cheapest way to replace LNG,” though he noted countries like India are also ramping up renewable energy.
Pauline Heinrichs, a climate and energy expert at King’s College London, said the crisis should be a turning point for governments. She stated, “The impact of coal on climate and health outcomes is devastating and disastrous – and we’ve proven that this is the case for many decades. Not only does it worsen climate risks, of course, but the same goes for pollution and toxicity.” She emphasized that the current energy crisis underlines the importance of renewable energy “not just a climate priority, but ultimately for energy security more broadly in Asia.” She added that governments should not allow a return to coal to become entrenched in the energy system long-term.
Dinita Setyawati, senior energy analyst for Asia at think tank Ember based in Jakarta, added, “It’s not sustainable to rely on coal. Homegrown renewables are definitely the way to go to improve more energy security and resilience.” Across Asia, countries are seeking ways to reduce energy consumption: the Philippines and Sri Lanka introduced four-day workweeks for many government staff, Vietnam encouraged remote work, Bangladesh closed universities early and implemented more planned blackouts, and Pakistan moved schools to online teaching. Gloystein concluded that recovering LNG supplies will take years, warning, “This is going to stay with us for a while because the damage that has been done, it’s going to take years to repair.”
Source: www.theguardian.com