Russia's Taymyr plan: Arctic coal for India risks pollution
Natural riches come in two conflicting types in Russia's Arctic north: valuable minerals and spectacular wildlife.But sadly for many threatened species, the decline in Arctic sea ice has created a new economic opportunity for Russia in their remote habitat.
In a decree last year President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian firms to boost cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route to an annual 80m tonnes by 2024.
Ambitious energy co-operation deals were signed with India in Vladivostok, in Russia's far east, in October.
One centres on a big open-cast coal mining project in the Taymyr Peninsula, in the far north of central Siberia.
The area is rich in high-quality coking coal (anthracite), used to make steel and aluminium.
Dharmendra Pradhan, India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said: "We are the second largest coal importer in the world, and we intend to achieve production of 3m tonnes of steel per year by 2030, so we need to increase coal supplies."........MUCH MORE, the Beeb really went heavy on the graphics for this story.
The Barents Observer has quite a few posts on Russian coal.
Recently:
November 1
Russia finds market for its vast reserves of Arctic coal
August 23
Gloom in horizon as Russia announces it will boost digging of coal
And a deep dive on August 1
Big blow to Arctic environment as Russian coal company advances into protected tundra
