Partnership Area on Mercury releases from Coal Combustion - 2023 Meeting

The Mercury releases from Coal Combustion Area of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership held its annual meeting on Monday 16 January 2023, in an online setting.

The meeting welcomed new partners and shared recent and upcoming activities. Participants amongst others discussed the following two ongoing projects: "Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector" funded by the US Department of State and the project on “Assessing existing and future emissions reduction from the coal sector toward the implementation of the Minamata and Stockholm Conventions” funded by the GEF.

The meeting was chaired by the Partnership Area co-leads, Lesley Sloss from the International Centre for Sustainable Carbon (ICSC) and Peter Nelson from Macquarie University (Australia).

Agenda

1. Opening remarks
2. Introduction of new partners
3. Recent and upcoming Partnership Area overarching activities
4. Update on project "Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector" funded by the US Department of State
5. Update on the project "Assessment of existing and future emissions reduction from the coal sector toward the implementation of the Minamata and Stockholm Conventions" funded by the GEF
6. Update on the call for comments on the draft guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices to control mercury releases to land and water
7. Any other issue
8. Closing 

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Communication from the co-leads:

Under item 4, the meeting reviewed some of the work that the Partnership Area has been involved in over the last year, including the delivery of eight events in India focusing on coal plant flexibility and emission monitoring. The co-leads of the Partnership Area would also be keen to explore the potential interest from partners in participating in some of the workshops planned for 2023 in India and Indonesia, which will focus on emissions control:

Indonesia - January 2023

A stakeholder event, aimed at Indonesian stakeholders, held in Jakarta during the last week of January 2023, will discuss potential cost-effective multipollutant and mercury reduction strategies targeted towards the Indonesian fleet, with a special focus on three selected plants. More details on these plants and why they have been selected for closer study are explained in the report on the Indonesian coal fleet produced by the ICSC available here.

There is an opening for one/two presentations from international experts/vendors whose technology could be a cost-effective option for Indonesian coal units. No support or funding for attendance at this event may be provided, but appropriate partners would be welcome to present to the meeting, which will include representatives from Indonesian ministries and utilities. Please contact Lesley Sloss at lesley.sloss@icscarbon.org as soon as possible, and by 30 December 2022 at the latest.
 
India - early 2023

Four regional workshops will be held in India in the first half of 2023, providing expert guidance on how Indian coal plants can comply with the new emission standards in the country. Since Indian coals are high in ash and water is often constrained, those systems which have been successful for NOx, SO2 and mercury reduction in Europe, North America, Japan, and China may not be so applicable in India.

Partners who can offer a cost-effective multipollutant control option for typical Indian coal plants, please contact Lesley Sloss at lesley.sloss@icscarbon.org. No support for travel costs may be provided, but selected attendees may receive help with hotel and subsistence costs. The dates and locations of these events have not been confirmed yet but should be decided in early 2023. The format of these workshops is under development, We would be happy to hear suggestions from partners during our Partnership Area meeting.