Sloane to build efficient coal plant in Colombia

: Coal, Electricity
18/07/09

UK-based Sloane Energy Group plans to build Latin America's first ultra-supercritical coal power plant in Colombia, Sloane chief executive Peter Burrowes told Argus.

The $1.6bn La Luna power plant, to be built in coal-rich Cesar department, will have an initial 750MW of capacity in two units. In a second phase, a third 375MW unit will be added.

The plant will have low emissions because it will be designed as an ultra-supercritical generator (USC), in which extreme boiler temperature and pressure heat water so the resulting steam is more efficient at driving the turbines.

The upfront cost of USC technology is 20pc−30pc more expensive than a traditional unit, but proponents say the cost is offset by improved net thermal efficiency levels and reduced emissions.

The plant will also consume 75pc of less water than a regular coal power plant, Burrowes said.

Coal will be produced at Sloane's adjacent La Luna coal mine, where production will begin in late 2019 with 500,000 t/yr of capacity. The underground coal mine will gradually ramp up to 4.2mn t/yr by 2022, of which 2.4mn t/yr will be exported and 1.8mn t/yr will feed the power plant.

Coal will be transported along 2km of covered conveyor belts to reach the plant. Local utility Grupo de Energía de Bogota will build a 500kV transmission line to connect La Luna with the national grid at the La Loma substation.

The project, advised by UK private venture firm Talis Capital, Sloane's sole shareholder, received an environmental permit on 27 June. Sloane plans to award an engineering, procurement and construction contract by the end of 2018 from a shortlist of five companies from Europe, the US, China, Japan and Korea.

Sloane plans to participate in an upcoming auction for 6,900MWh per month of power supply for 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023, with incentives to start operations earlier to replace the firm energy that will not be delivered by stalled hydroelectric project HidroItuango.

The government's energy and gas regulator CREG has hinted that it may carry out the auction of firm energy ahead of the December deadline after recently issuing four resolutions to ensure short-term power needs are met.

"We are on the lookout to participate in the upcoming auction. Once we win firm energy in the auction and we select the EPC contractor, we will be able to close financing in first half 2019," Burrowes said.

Colombia has around 6.7bn t of proven coal reserves, but coal-fired generating capacity is dwarfed by hydroelectricity, which accounts for around three quarters of generation.

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25/04/22

Tariff ‘shock’ prompts IMF to cut growth outlook

Washington, 22 April (Argus) — Global economic growth is expected to be significantly lower in 2025-26 than previously anticipated because of the steep tariffs President Donald Trump is pursuing for most imports and the uncertainty his policies are generating, the IMF said. The IMF, in its latest World Economic Outlook released today, forecasts the global economy will grow by 2.8pc in 2025 and 3pc in 2026. That compares with the 3.3pc/yr growth for 2025-26 that the IMF was expecting just three months ago. Today's forecast is based on the tariffs that Trump had in place as of 4 April, before he paused steep tariffs on most countries and escalated tarrifs on China. These barriers had pushed up the effective US tariff rate to levels "not seen in a century", the IMF said. While Trump has altered his tariff levels repeatedly, he has imposed an across-the-board 10pc tariff on most imports, a 25pc tariff on steel and aluminum, a 25pc tariff on some imports from Canada and Mexico, and a 145pc tariff on most imports from China. "This on its own is a major negative shock to growth," the IMF said. "The unpredictability with which these measures have been unfolding also has a negative impact on economic activity and the outlook." IMF forecasts are used by many economists to model oil demand projections. The US and its closest trading partners appear to be among those hardest hit by tariffs and corresponding trade countermeasures. The IMF's baseline scenario forecasts US growth at 1.8pc this year, a decrease of 0.9 percentage points from the forecast the IMF released in January, reflecting higher policy uncertainty, trade tensions and softer demand outlook. Mexico's economy is now projected to shrink by 0.3pc in 2025, rather than grow by 1.4pc, while Canada's growth is forecast at 1.4pc in 2025, down from 2pc. The release of the IMF report comes as Trump has given no indications of a shift in thinking on tariffs, which he says are generating billions of dollars for the US and will prompt companies to relocate their manufacturing capacity to the US. "THE BUSINESSMEN WHO CRITICIZE TARIFFS ARE BAD AT BUSINESS, BUT REALLY BAD AT POLITICS. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND OR REALIZE THAT I AM THE GREATEST FRIEND THAT AMERICAN CAPITALISM HAS EVER HAD!" Trump wrote on social media on 20 April. The next day, major stock markets indexes declined by more than 2pc, continuing their crash from when Trump began announcing his tariff policies. Trump on 21 April escalated his attacks against US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell for failing to lower interest rates as Trump has demanded. There could be a "SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late" — his nickname for Powell — "a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW," Trump wrote. The IMF also ratcheted down its expectations for the Chinese economy. China's economy is expected to grow by 4pc/yr in 2025-26, down from the 4.6 and 4.5pc, respectively, the IMF was anticipating in January. The euro area is forecast to grow by 0.8pc in 2025 and 1.2pc in 2026, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the IMF's previous forecast. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Coal India, DVC to build 1.6GW of thermal power plants

25/04/22

Coal India, DVC to build 1.6GW of thermal power plants

Singapore, 22 April (Argus) — State-owned producer Coal India (CIL) plans to develop 1.6GW of coal-fired power capacity under a joint venture with state-controlled utility Damodar Valley (DVC) to meet rising demand and expand its non-coal revenue. India's top coal producer CIL plans to set up two brownfield thermal power units of 800MW each with DVC in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, the company announced on 21 April. The brownfield expansion will be carried out at DVC's 500MW Chandrapura thermal power station. The 50:50 joint venture plans to invest 165bn rupees ($1.94bn) towards the expansion. The expanded capacity will source coal from the regional mines of CIL's subsidiary companies, Bharat Coking Coal and Central Coalfields. The firms did not disclose the timeline for the completion of this expansion. CIL has geared up to construct several super-critical or ultra super-critical pit-head thermal power plants to support the nation's requirement for affordable and reliable energy, the company said in its annual report for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2024. CIL announced plans to set up two brownfield thermal power units of 800MW each with state-owned utility Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (RRVUNL) at the latter's existing Kalisindh thermal project in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan in September 2024. India's installed thermal capacity stood at 247GW as of 31 March, with coal accounting for 215GW of this, and the rest being lignite, diesel and natural gas, according to data from the country's Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The country's total power capacity stood at 475GW as of 31 March. India plans to raise its electricity generation capacity by more than fourfold over the next two decades to cater to rising domestic demand, although the focus would be on boosting power production from cleaner sources of energy as the country takes steps to cut emissions. New Delhi is aiming to achieve a generation capacity of 2,100GW by 2047, power minister Manohar Lal Khattar said at the launch of National Electricity Plan for power transmission in October 2024. By Ajay Modi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

India’s thermal coal imports ease in March

25/04/21

India’s thermal coal imports ease in March

Singapore, 21 April (Argus) — India's thermal coal imports in March fell on the year for the seventh consecutive month, pressured by rising domestic output and high inventories even as coal-fired generation expanded. The country imported 14.1mn t of thermal coal in March, down by 1.2pc from a year earlier, but up by over 24pc from 11.33mn t in February, according to data from shipbroker Interocean. Coal arrivals declined year-on-year across key origins barring Indonesia and South Africa. India's cumulative imports over January-March stood at 38.3mn t, down by 8.6pc from 41.9mn t in the same period a year earlier, according to Interocean data. Demand for imported coal fell as domestic availability continued to rise. The combined output from state-controlled Coal India (CIL), Singareni Collieries (SCCL) and captive blocks reached 118.54mn t in March, up by 1.6pc from a year earlier, according to data from the country's coal ministry. Overall supplies stood at 94.94mn t, up by 5.1pc from a year earlier. Combined coal supplies to utilities from domestic sources stood at 78.46mn t in March, up by 6.3pc from a year earlier and up from 69.61mn t in February, coal ministry data show. The increase in domestic coal output and supplies helped utilities to increase stocks to cater for an increase in coal consumption at power plants in March. But the higher domestic coal availability pressured imports. The country's coal-fired generation reached 117.95TWh in March, up from 112.82TWh a year earlier and well above the 106.18TWh in February, according to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data. Higher temperatures and increased air conditioning use lifted coal-fired output in March. Coal burn at utilities could remain elevated over the summer months and exacerbate drawdowns from stocks at power plants and at coal producer CIL. Combined coal inventories at Indian power plants stood at 58.11mn t as of 31 March, up from 50.69mn t a year earlier, and up from 54.59mn t on 28 February, the CEA said. Inventories at CIL reached an all-time high of 106.8mn t as of 31 March, up from 89.41mn t a year earlier. Import mix Imports from Indonesia grew to 9.68mn t in March from 9.23mn t a year earlier, and were sharply higher from 6.75mn t in February, Interocean data show. Indonesia continued to be the primary supplier of imported coal to India in March, accounting for nearly 69pc of overall thermal coal imports, up from almost 60pc in February. Imports from South Africa, a source favoured by coal-consuming industries like sponge iron, rose by 72pc from a year earlier to 2.32mn t, but fell from 2.42mn t in February. Demand from India's coal-intensive sponge iron industry, which is a major consumer of South African NAR 5,500 kcal/kg coal, remained resilient following a stimulus measure from the Indian government to introduce steel safeguards , which in turn has driven domestic sponge iron prices higher. By Ajay Modi India thermal coal imports in March 2025 t Origin Quantity % ± m-o-m % ± y-o-y Indonesia 9,684,944 43.4 5 South Africa 2,323,265 -4 72.1 USA 1,132,417 66.8 -17.1 Russia 435,120 -27.1 -20.8 Mozambique 68,306 -42.7 -85.7 Others 458,288 -21.4 -44.1 Total 14,102,340 24.4 -1.2 Source: Interocean Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

IMF anticipates lower growth from US tariffs

25/04/17

IMF anticipates lower growth from US tariffs

Washington, 17 April (Argus) — Economic growth projections set for release next week will include "notable markdowns" caused by higher US tariffs that have been disrupting trade and stressing financial markets, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said today. The IMF earlier this month warned that the tariffs that President Donald Trump was placing on trading partners could pose a "significant risk" to the global economy. Those higher trade barriers are on track to reduce growth, raise prices for consumers and create incremental costs related to uncertainty, the IMF plans to say in its World Economic Outlook on 22 April. "Our new growth projections will include notable markdowns, but not recession," Georgieva said Thursday in a speech previewing the outlook. "We will also see markups to the inflation forecasts for some countries." Trump has already placed an across-the-board 10pc tariff on most trading partners, with higher tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico, a 145pc tariff on China, and an exception for most energy imports. Those tariffs — combined with Trump's on-again, off-again threats to impose far higher tariffs — have been fueling uncertainty for businesses and trading partners. The recent tariff "increases, pauses, escalations and exemption" will likely have significant consequences for the global economy, Georgieva said, resulting in a postponement of investment decisions, ships at sea not knowing where to sail, precautionary savings and more volatile financial markets. Higher tariffs will cause an upfront hit to economic growth, she said, and could cause a shift in trade under which some sectors could be "flooded by cheap imports" while other sectors face shortages. The IMF has yet to release its latest growth projections. But in January, IMF expected global growth would hold steady at 3.3pc this year with lower inflation. The IMF at the time had forecast the US economy would grow by 2.7pc, with 1pc growth in Europe and 4.5pc growth in China. The upcoming markdown in growth projections from the IMF aligns with analyses from many banks and economists. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on 16 April said the recent increase in tariffs were likely to contribute to "higher inflation and slower growth". Those comments appear to have infuriated Trump, who has wanted Powell to cut interest rates in hopes of stimulating growth in the US. "Powell's termination cannot come fast enough!" Trump wrote today on social media. Powell's term as chair does not end until May 2026. Under a longstanding US Supreme Court case called Humphrey's Executor , Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally fire commissioners at independent agencies such as the Federal Reserve. Trump has already done so at other agencies such as the US Federal Trade Commission, creating a potential avenue to overturn the decision. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

25/04/16

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

Osaka, 16 April (Argus) — The Japanese government is gearing up to develop geothermal energy, as the clean power can help to decarbonise the power sector with stable output, unlike weather-dependent renewables such as solar and wind. The trade and industry ministry Meti on 14 April launched a public-private council to discuss the development of next-generation geothermal energy, aiming to formulate a draft guideline, including capacity and cost targets, by around October this year. The new technology could lift the country's potential geothermal capacity to at least 77GW, compared with 23.5GW based on conventional methods, according to the council. The draft plan aims to establish the next-generation geothermal technology as early as the 2030s, to expand the use of the clean energy with competitive prices toward 2040, while tacking geological challenges, such as fault and complex geology, in Japan. Should the next-generation technology, such as closed-loop and supercritical geothermal, prove practical, Japan could utilise its potential, said Meti minister Yoji Muto on 15 April. Japan could consider exporting the next-generation technology globally, as it has around 70pc global share in conventional geothermal turbines, he added. The geothermal strategy is in line with the country's new strategic energy plan (SEP) , which was published in February, as well as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's push to develop geothermal capacity. Ishiba had focused on less-utilised and high potential geothermal, as well as micro-hydropower, during his [campaign for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2608517) last year. The SEP assumes geothermal will account for 1-2pc of Japan's power mix in the April 2040-March 2041 fiscal year, which is relatively marginal compared with other renewables such as solar at 23-29pc, wind at 4-8pc, hydroelectric at 8-10pc and biomass at 5-6pc. But even the small share would be much higher compared with its actual share of 0.3pc of total power generation in 2023-24. Diversification of renewable power sources would be necessary to achieve Japan's plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60pc in 2035-36 and by 73pc in 2040-41, respectively, against the 2013-14 level, before achieving its net zero goal in 2050. Under the SEP, Tokyo aims to reduce its dependence on thermal power to 30-40pc in 2040-41 from 71pc in 2024. Japanese private firms are already involved in further developing domestic and overseas geothermal projects. Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power and construction firm Obayashi said on 16 April that they will study potential geothermal resources in Hokkaido during April 2025-February 2026, taking advantage of subsidies provided by state-owned energy agency Jogmec. Japanese battery maker Panasonic Energy said on 8 April that it has signed a power purchase agreement with regional utility Kyushu Electric Power's renewable arm Kyushu Mirai Energy to secure around 50GWh/yr of geothermal-based electricity from 1 April. The stable geothermal supplies, unaffected by weather, could double a renewable ratio in its domestic power consumption to around 30pc, Panasonic said. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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