A Just Transition from Coal in South Baltimore

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Alternatives: PoA is exploring hydrogen as a sustainable inclusion in its shipping portfolio. They’re discussing transporting hydrogen produced via green electricity (green hydrogen) through a pipeline to the port. This hydrogen will be supplied to industry partners in the region. Hydrogen is a more effective energy producer than coal, but it takes up more space and is highly flammable, requiring more care to store. Context: The Port of Amsterdam has operated since the fourteenth century and is the fourth largest port in Europe (  Port of Amsterdam  ). The port has committed to phasing out coal handling by 2030 because of the significant decrease in coal exports and in pursuit of clean energy alternatives (  Darby  ). Activists in the Netherlands have targeted the ports because of their health effects and the country’s otherwise green reputation ( EJAtlas ). Image credit: Onderwijsgek, CC BY-SA 2.5 NL , via Wikimedia Commons.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Alternatives: The port is now interested in becoming Europe’s Hydrogen Hub as hydrogen begins to replace things like coal and natural gas for heat generation ( Port of Rotterdam ). A German utility company called Onyx Power recently proposed a replacement for the Port of Rotterdam’s current coal-fired power station in the form of a “blue hydrogen project”, which produces some C02, unlike green hydrogen ( Parkes ). Context: The port of Rotterdam holds a 50% market share for fossil fuel in North-Western Europe, with about 90% of the port’s coal making its way to Germany and only 10% staying in Rotterdam. The Netherlands has plans to phase out the firing of coal in power stations by 2030, and Germany has tentative plans to decommission its coal-fired power plants by no later than 2038. ( Port of Rotterdam ). In 2008 the Rotterdam municipality and the Port Authority initiated the Rotterdam Climate Initiative with the goal of reducing the city's CO2 emissions by half by 2025. The initiative failed, with Rotterdam’s port instead increasing emissions by 50% relative to its initial goal ( Bosman et al. ). Image credit: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Port of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

Alternatives: The Port of Newcastle has initiated a plan to diversify its cargo portfolio and create new storage capacities to handle renewable energies ( Port of Newcastle ). The CEO of the Port stated that “diversification is not an option” for the port, but rather “a must do, and as such, we are forging forward” ( Maritime Executive ). A component of this project is to enable the production of green hydrogen across industries so that the port can become a “fully integrated clean energy industrial hub.” There are even talks to create a Green Hydrogen Hub to produce and distribute green hydrogen across the globe, beginning with a feasibility study. In pursuit of these green futures, the port has also transitioned to a 100% clean energy model for its internal power consumption ( Port of Newcastle ). Context: The Port of Newcastle, Australia, is the largest coal export on the planet, and it exports around 165 megatons of coal a year. Overall, it handles 164 million tons of cargo, including dry bulk, bulk liquids, and more. Image credit: John Ward, John Ward Transport Collection, City of Sydney Archives., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Alternatives: green hydrogen, renewable energy, and associated manufacturing. Context: South Africa is one of the most coal dependent countries in the world, with 89% of its electricity coming from the fossil fuel. South Africa does burn less coal than other countries, but it is highly dependent on the substance with little diversity in its energy production  (Frontiers ). Source:   https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2022.1059312/full   Image credit: Ossewa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Alternatives: grains, glass, wood, cement, aluminium oxide and quartz ( La Voz de Galicia ). Context: the port went through billion-euro renovation 15 years ago, including a dome (Coal stockyard “La Medusa”) to reduce coal dust. Credit image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Gijon, Asturias, Spain

Alternatives: Coal as an energy provider in Spain is being replaced by renewable energies, with a target of 74% green electricity by 2030. The government has repealed taxes on solar grids, and investors have looked towards green hydrogen as a potential alternative energy source. Wind has also played an important part in the energy grid as Spain is the second highest wind energy producer in Europe ( ABC ). Context: In the 1950’s, the Spanish coal industry employed 100,000 people, but that number has plummeted to only 300 mining employees throughout the nation. The coal industry is in its twilight now, and in 2018 the Spanish government struck a “Just Transition” deal with the mining unions to allow miners up to age 48 to retire and to retrain everyone younger than that for clean-energy jobs. The downfall of the coal industry has pushed miners into other lines of work, but has also led to the end of service industries within dwindling coal communities ( CNN ). Image credit: Bafpg, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.

Fushun, Liaoning, China

Alternatives: The coal pit was shut down but it still operates, albeit in a new form. The West Pit now acts as a “living industrial museum” to fuel tourism and has been repurposed to be more visually appealing. Context: In China, the Fushun West Pit was the largest open-pit coal mine in Asia and contributed 18 million tons of coal to Chinese industry in the early 1960s. The coal pit caused instability in the ground leading to mudslides and ground sinks, among other environmental hazards to the local community.  In 2019, after eleven decades in operation, the coal pit was shut down  (  Tianyuan and Youzhi  ). Source:   https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/fushun/fushun-coal-mine-museum-10795168/   Image credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.