Boyce praises China's push for cleaner air

In a recent statement, Gregory Boyce, chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, praised China's leadership for taking steps to accelerate the use of emissions control technologies across the nation's expanding industrial sector, while increasing the coal use that has fueled the nation's stunning economic development.

China's State Council recently announced new measures to address urban air quality through rapid upgrades to pollution controls and more stringent enforcement actions, while continuing to use more coal for electricity generation, conversion to other fuels and chemicals, and steel production.

"I commend China's cabinet for increasing the intensity of efforts to deploy modern emissions control technologies," said Boyce, following a keynote address in Canberra to Australian Government and business leaders on the role of 21^st Century coal.

"The approach announced by China's leaders has proven successful in the US in the past, allowing substantial improvement in emissions from coal-fired generation in recent decades. It addresses air quality challenges – while increasing coal use to fuel economic growth – through greater investment in and use of technology that is widely available."

The Chinese Government's measures are consistent with energy policy recommendations made by Peabody at the 2013 China Development Forum (CDF) Economic Summit in Beijing. Invited to present economic development ideas to Chinese leaders at the forum, Boyce advanced the following three recommendations:

• China should continue to assert its right to drive economic and social development and the betterment of the lives of its people though the use of the country's abundant coal resources.
• China should follow the model proven in the US for solving urban air quality challenges, by increasing the intensity of efforts to deploy modern emissions control technology.

China should adopt the principles of 21^st Century coal by implementing the highest standards for worker safety, resource recovery, land restoration and water use in its mining sector.

Adapted from press release by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/28062013/boyce_praises_china_measures_to_improve_air_quality_while_keeping_coal_243/