Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants

Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by 3pt14159 on Monday July 03, 2017 @11:18AM (#14688851)

It's only cheaper in the very short term. In the long term Pakistan's society will pay more for healthcare and energy as coal becomes unable to compete with solar and other sources.

Building a powerplant that is supposed to operational for 50 years when it may only be economically viable for 5 or 10 leads to a warping of the per-unit economics, even before taking into consideration public health and environmental damage.

Pakistan should ask the west for a zero interest after inflation loan to install green alternatives.

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Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by TheSpiceIsLife on Monday July 03, 2017 @11:32AM (#14688977)

While I agree with you regarding zero interest loans for green(er) alternatives...

What makes you think coal only has a 5 to 10 year viable economic life span? If the world starts moving toward green(er) alternatives won't coal become cheaper?

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Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by 3pt14159 on Monday July 03, 2017 @04:01PM (#14690976)

There is a absolute limit on the cost of coal: What it costs to get it out of the ground and into the powerplant. Even if the price of coal per unit weight goes down to 0 it will still have a cost to transport it. I think that in the medium term that is what coal is up against; a solar alternative that is cheaper in the long run.

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Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by Stanleyc23 on Monday July 03, 2017 @12:51PM (#14689657)

The less important coal becomes on a global scale, the less infrastructure and expertise that will be maintained for extraction and processing. This type of lack of supply should drive up prices as well. Consider the ease of buying and maintaining a horse vs a car.

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Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by te_chris on Monday July 03, 2017 @11:53AM (#14689157)

Investment will descrease which will decrease supply making what is still dug up more expensive.

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Re:Chinese companies building numerous overseas coal plants by gozur88 on Monday July 03, 2017 @02:18PM (#14690286)

It probably will become cheaper, since as volume goes down mines that are only marginally profitable now will close, leaving only the most efficient.

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