While the rest of the industrialized world tells its citizens to prepare for a lower-energy, more difficult, but more “green” future, China continues to power its factories and megacities by gleefully burning gigantic amounts of coal.
On Monday, China and Mongolia announced the launch of a new 145-mile rail line that will haul coal from Mongolia’s Tavan Tolgoi field across the border to hungry Chinese factories.
China’s state-run Global Times trumpeted the railway’s capacity to carry up to 50 million tons of coal to China per year, at a greatly reduced cost of $8 per ton, compared to about $32 per ton for coal shipped by truck. Chinese officials expect the increased volume and reduced cost of shipping to yield a “significant” decrease in the cost of coal.
Even before the railway was announced, Mongolia’s coal exports to China have been increasing by over 200…
