Industry organisation World Coal Association chairperson July Ndlovu has said the time has come for the world to accept that abated coal has a vital role to play in the long-term energy future.

Speaking at the Southern African Coal Conference, in Cape Town, Ndlovu said there had never been a more poignant time to speak about coal and its multiple attributes.

“Almost a year to the day, coal’s global journey took a new and dramatic turn, or more correctly, a series of turns. Europe was confronted by a plethora of unprecedented energy challenges including gas shortages, ongoing supply chain problems, price surges and transportation bottlenecks.

“Additionally, droughts manifested the inability for [some] renewables to deliver the continuous supply of energy that was promised,” he noted.

Ndlovu said that geopolitical issues in Ukraine, Russia and China contributed to greater uncertainty, showing how essential it was for countries to have energy security.

“As the past year has demonstrated, coal can still be relied upon to deliver energy security in the face of turmoil and uncertainty.

“Coal continues to play a pivotal role in parts of the world where fuel choices are few. This includes Asia, South Africa and a large part of the African continent, where millions of people still depend on coal for light, heat, food, employment and transport – essentially the basics of life,” he said.

He mentioned that coal remains essential to electricity supply in more than 80 countries.

Ndlovu said it was every country’s sovereign right to make its own energy choices.

“So, we’ve got to get back to reality and common sense. We’ve got to push back against singular energy solutions, which are inadequate and unreliable. We must consider coal’s multiple attributes and practicalities.”

He averred that coal remained the core raw product in the creation of steel, cement and aluminium – key components for transformation.

Ndlovu said the coal industry was undergoing a major transformation as participants across the whole coal value chain signed on to an abated coal future which included technologies such as high-efficiency, low emissions and coal-to-hydrogen, all capable of being equipped with carbon capture and storage.

“The fact remains that up to 99% of coal emissions, including carbon dioxide, can be eliminated through current and available abatement technologies.

“The past year has informed us all that we are at a major crossroads in our energy future, and we need to chart a new and truly ground-breaking way forward for this valuable and versatile commodity and the dynamic community that oversees it,” Ndlovu asserted.