Coal news and updates

Hong Kong firm to supply biocoal to power plants, households as alternative energy source amid stubborn demand, high prices for fossil fuels

·         Company started producing bio coal in November and aims to raise its capacity from 300,000 tonnes annually to 5 million by 2027

·         Its first big contracts will be to supply bio coal to a power plant in Asia, and as heat source for households in Europe

moke rises from a coal-powered steel plant at Hehal village in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India in September 2021. Photo: AP

Hong Kong firm SSGE Bio-Energy is producing a coal-like product from agricultural waste as an alternative source of energy, aiming to benefit from efforts to contain emissions as stubborn industrial demand keeps coal prices elevated.

The firm’s bio-coal product can be made from waste such as rice husks or peanut shells, and has a similar energy value as coal but with a smaller carbon footprint, managing director Yeung Ching-man said. Every tonne of bio-coal use can reduce 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, he added.

“Converting agricultural residues into biocoal helps eliminate traditional methods of waste disposal,” Yeung said in an interview during the Eco Expo Asia 2022 organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council last week. Open burning or self-decomposition releases harmful gases, which can be avoided, he added.