Rotterdam to Expand Port Terminals as More Coal Flows to Europe

[FBaggins]

Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest port, is expanding its capacity to handle coal shipments to meet “sharply” higher demand for the fuel in Europe in the next few years, according to Karel Peters, a business manager at the hub.

The port, which handles 60 percent of seaborne coal to Europe, will receive 27 million metric tons of coal this year, up from 24 million tons last year, Peters said by phone. The port is investing 50 million euros ($72 million) to expand its coal capacity to 42 million tons by 2018, he said.

“We expect coal imports in Europe to increase sharply over the coming years,” Peters said. “Europe will need more coal as a result of the closure of coal mines and increasing demands from Germany.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-22/rotterdam-to-expand-port-terminals-as-more-coal-flows-to-europe.html

[TheWraith]

1. I guess those seventeen new coal plants in Germany aren't going to be fed by unicorn farts.

I'm shocked. :sarcasm:

[NickB79]

3. Didn't you hear? They're not building any coal plants in Germany

That's all propaganda and myth.

All that extra coal is to build Germany's newest, dirtiest, ass-kickingest theme park: Coal-Land!

[FBaggins]

4. Well now... Remember that coal isn't just used for electricity.

German also uses it for their steel industry.

This must be because of all that strong economic growth rolling through Europe.

Yeah... That's the ticket.

[kristopher]

6. (German) Energy giant RWE puts brakes on new coal and gas plants

Although the details aren't discussed this major website for the energy industry makes clear the current situation when it notes, ""German utilities recently deemed coal-fired generation as economically unviable (see CSD 2 August 2011),"

http://www.icis.com/heren/articles/2011/08/03/9482340/carbon-price-collapse-boosts-german-power-generation.html

That coincides with and explains this announcement by RWE, one of the 4 major utilities in Germany.

Energy giant RWE puts brakes on new coal and gas plants
RWE plans to expand its wind energy network in the future

German energy concern RWE says it will not start building any more gas or coal-fired power plants after ones already under construction are completed. But additional investments in renewables will have to wait a while.

Essen-based energy concern RWE is moving away from conventional power generation as of 2014 to focus on renewable energy sources like wind power, the company announced earlier this week.

But despite Germany's recent energy turnaround, the company will not expand its existing green energy program for at least the next three years.

"The next three years won't change that much," said Hans Bünting, the chief financial officer of the concern's renewables unit, RWE Innogy, adding that current projects costing some 3.9 billion euros had to be completed before the company switched its focus.

"We have to build what we're already building," he said....

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15231271,00.html


For the actual path they are following see:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=308535&mesg_id=308544

[kristopher]

7. BTW, where is that list you posted of those 17 plants?

You know the one I'm talking about, right? It also showed that all those proposed plants were (which btw were plants proposed by the same right wing government that tried extending the life of the nuclear fleet) were not actually getting built because of local government opposition and an uncooperative liberal opposition?

Where is that original list of those 17 plants you keep harping on? Surely you must remember?

[NickB79]

2. Kick. nt

[Systematic Chaos]

5. And...

...SILENCE from the herp-a-derp brigade!

Who'd-a thunk it? :D