World's Biggest Coal Company Closes 37 Mines as So
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The rapid growth in renewable energy continues to put a dent in the demand for coal.
Coal India, the world's biggest coal mining company and producer of 82 percent of the country's coal, announced the closure of 37 mines that are financially "unviable."
The sites make up roughly nine percent of the total mines operated by Coal India. The company is expected save Rs 800 crore ($124 million) from the closures.
India's energy market is undergoing a rapid transformation as it moves away from fossil fuels. Last month, the country cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations.
Notably, solar has been cheaper than coal-based electricity in India for the past several months. According to Quartz:
"At an auction for 500 megawatt (MW) of capacity at the park on May 12, the state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) managed to discover a record-low tariff of Rs 2.44 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The previous low was two days before that when tariffs hit Rs 2.62 per kWh during auctions for another phase of Bhadla solar park.
"The country's largest power company, NTPC, sells electricity from its coal-based generation units at a princely Rs 3.20 per kWh."
The National Thermal Power Corporation of India said that the country currently hosts a solar power capacity of 845 megawatts, after the recent addition of a 225 megawatt solar farm, the Mandsaur Solar Power Project.
"India's solar sector has received heavy international investment, and the plummeting price of solar electricity has increased pressure on fossil fuel companies in the country," as The Independent reported. "The government has announced it will not build any more coal plants after 2022 and predicts renewables will generate 57 percent of its power by 2027—a pledge far outstripping its commitment in the Paris climate change agreement."
2nd related story below 1st in link>>
' World's Fastest Folding Electric Scooter' Revolutionizes Commuting
The so-called "first and last mile" problem is one of the biggest hurdles with public transportation. How do you encourage more people to take Earth-friendlier commutes when their homes are miles away from the train or bus station?
One solution, as this Estonian electric scooter company proposes, is to simply take your commute with you—literally. Tallinn-based Stigo has developed a compact e-scooter that folds to the size of a rolling suitcase in about two seconds.
When folded, the Stigo L1E takes up a mere 48 × 40 cm (19 x 16 inches) of space. And at only 14 kg. (31 lbs.), it can be easily towed by hand, tucks neatly into train and bus storage compartments or, say, underneath your table at a café or the office.
"We believe Stigo will revolutionize the way people travel," Stigo CEO Ardo Reinsalu said in a statement. "Stigo is not only the world's fastest folding electric scooter, but you can also pull it along like hand luggage wherever you go, including indoors and outdoors, and charge it from a regular outlet."
https://www.ecowatch.com/india-coal-mines-clo...31737.html