美國清潔煤 將有助於美中煤炭行業
Developing “clean coal” technology would help the coal sector in the US and China and prevent further job losses, according to US energy secretary Ernest Moniz.
美國能源部長歐內斯特•莫尼茲(Ernest Moniz)表示，發展“清潔煤”技術將幫助美國和中國的煤炭行業，並防止更多失業。
Crashing prices for coal amid China’s economic slowdown and US investors’ preference for newer, less polluting energy technology has hit the industry hard in both countries.
在中國經濟放緩，而美國投資者偏好較新、污染較小的能源科技的背景下，煤價大幅下挫嚴重衝擊了兩國的煤炭行業。
Last week US coal group Peabody filed for bankruptcy under the weight of about $6bn in debt. Meanwhile, Beijing’s bid to shut down capacity and cut jobs in the sector last month prompted mass protests in China by coal workers from at least two big state-owned mines.
上週美國煤炭集團博地能源(Peabody Energy)在約60億美元債務的重壓下申請破產保護。與此同時，上個月北京方面關閉煤炭產能和裁員的努力在至少兩個大型國有煤礦引發了煤炭工人的大規模抗議。
Clean coal is the holy grail for those who accept the world’s dependence on the energy source but want to curb emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases that scientists say contribute to damaging global warming.
對於那些接受世界對煤炭這種能源的依賴，但又希望遏制科學家宣稱引起破壞性全球變暖的二氧化碳及其他溫室氣體排放的人來說，清潔煤是他們努力追求的理想。
“The idea of having a continued opportunity for coal use in a highly carbon-constrained world is something that’s attractive for carbon reasons. It’s also attractive in addressing the coal country, the dislocations that otherwise would become even greater,” Mr Moniz said in an interview in Beijing before the Peabody announcement.
“在一個高度限制碳排放的世界裏繼續有機會使用煤炭，這個想法就碳排放而言有吸引力。對於解決煤炭國家原本可能變得更爲嚴重的脫節，這也是有吸引力的，”莫尼茲在博地能源宣佈申請破產保護之前在北京接受採訪時表示。
China and the US, the world’s two biggest polluters, have reached a series of deals to curb emissions and build domestic political support for lower-carbon industrial policies to help meet commitments made late last year in Paris. Mr Moniz said the two countries’ reliance on coal required the development of coal technologies that emitted less carbon.
世界最大的兩個污染國中國和美國已經達成了一系列協議，以遏制排放，併爲低碳產業政策建立國內政治支持，目的是幫助兩國履行去年末在巴黎做出的承諾。莫尼茲表示，兩國對煤炭的依賴要求開發出碳排放較少的煤炭技術。
Clean coal is contentious among environmentalists. Some see it as the only way to reduce emissions while maintaining or increasing the energy supply available to the world’s 7bn people. Others believe it diverts funds from more promising technologies while so far failing to deliver on emissions reductions.
清潔煤在環保主義者當中存在爭議。一些人將其視爲在維持或者提高世界70億人可用的能源供應的同時減少排放的唯一方法。另一些人則認爲，這會分流一些原本將投向更有希望的技術的資金，況且清潔煤技術迄今未能實現減排。
The US is promoting pilot projects in China, including carbon capture and storage. Chinese construction companies have been involved in planning coal-based projects in the US, including the energy department-backed Texas Clean Energy plant, although many of those projects have stalled.
美國正在中國推行試點項目，包括碳捕獲和封存。中國的建築公司參與規劃美國基於煤炭的項目，包括得到美國能源部支持的德州清潔能源工廠(TCEP)，儘管這些項目有很多已被擱置。
“For a carbon-constrained world, we feel we must develop the enabling technologies for all sources, including coal. The marketplace will then decide,” Mr Moniz said.
“在碳排放受限的世界，我們覺得我們必須發展使所有能源來源（包括煤炭）都能使用的科技。之後市場會做出決定，”莫尼茲表示。
