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Amidst heavy police and the presence of stick wielding BLCP personnel,
five activists chained themselves to the pier bumper and hung banners
that read ‘Coal = climate change, Clean Energy Now’. They remained for
two hours before being detained by police with the help of Navy seals.
A West Australian activist was among 20 people arrested during the
action. He is expected to face trespass charges.
A 170,00 tonne carrier, MV Star Europe, carrying a large shipment of coal from Newcastle, NSW (the world’s largest coal exporting port) has been anchored a few nautical miles away, waiting for the area to be cleared.
The BLCP plant, which is jointly owned by Banpu and Hong Kong based China Light, is scheduled for its grand opening next month. BLCP is a classic example of dirty international financing by the likes of Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
"The BLCP coal plant will exacerbate the impacts of climate change, which is already starting to exact a heavy toll on the people and economies of Thailand and Southeast Asia. It does not help that Australia is fuelling climate change in the region with its coal exports," said Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
"Thailand must stop any further use of coal and put a policy in place for the massive increase of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects."
The 1,434 MW BLCP coal plant will release nearly 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and once in operation this plant alone will cause Thailand's carbon emissions to rise by almost 6 percent a year, according to Greenpeace projections.
Coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels, emitting 29 percent more carbon per unit of energy than oil and 80 percent more than gas, and contributing significantly to climate change.
"Coal and coal-fired power stations have been strongly opposed by communities in the region. However, the Australian government refuses to take action on global warming while ignoring climate impacts on its own citizens and other countries in Asia. The whole region will be further threatened by the increase of investments in coal power plants across Asia many of which will rely on the supply of Australian coal." said Catherine Fitzpatrick, Greenpeace Australia Pacific energy campaigner.
A 170,00 tonne carrier, MV Star Europe, carrying a large shipment of coal from Newcastle, NSW (the world’s largest coal exporting port) has been anchored a few nautical miles away, waiting for the area to be cleared.
The BLCP plant, which is jointly owned by Banpu and Hong Kong based China Light, is scheduled for its grand opening next month. BLCP is a classic example of dirty international financing by the likes of Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
"The BLCP coal plant will exacerbate the impacts of climate change, which is already starting to exact a heavy toll on the people and economies of Thailand and Southeast Asia. It does not help that Australia is fuelling climate change in the region with its coal exports," said Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
"Thailand must stop any further use of coal and put a policy in place for the massive increase of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects."
The 1,434 MW BLCP coal plant will release nearly 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and once in operation this plant alone will cause Thailand's carbon emissions to rise by almost 6 percent a year, according to Greenpeace projections.
Coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels, emitting 29 percent more carbon per unit of energy than oil and 80 percent more than gas, and contributing significantly to climate change.
"Coal and coal-fired power stations have been strongly opposed by communities in the region. However, the Australian government refuses to take action on global warming while ignoring climate impacts on its own citizens and other countries in Asia. The whole region will be further threatened by the increase of investments in coal power plants across Asia many of which will rely on the supply of Australian coal." said Catherine Fitzpatrick, Greenpeace Australia Pacific energy campaigner.
