The Shanghai Electric/Coal Plus media stuff has roiled s/holders for the right reasons. I reckon Tom Arup had some strong info there.
Surely some here have sent onlymoney's post on to Tom Arup (The Age) and the Latrobe Valley Express...? How could they not be interested...bit of balance...?
IMO the Govts would be aware of all this, but could take the view that "a new broom" is now over Shanghai Electrical...and "we need the certainty of major $$ for rail/port".
However - that does not excuse the fact that Shanghai Electric/Coal Plus do not seem to qualify for the ALDP no matter how their techs/financing/corporate structures is/are tweaked. They already have proven commercial techs. Fact.
Todays ann:
"The Company continues to await the outcome of the ALDP, a joint state and federal initiative established to provide support funding to Companies, toward the cost of demonstrating pre-commercial lignite upgrading technologies, that otherwise could not proceed. The successful demonstration and subsequent commercialisation of low or zero emission upgrading technologies on Victoria’s vast lignite reserves clearly supports economic, energy and climate security."
I thought this was well done. It highlights the original motivating factor for ALDP - techs "that otherwise could not proceed"...ie the ALDP was designed to give a "helping hand" to truuuuly pre-commercial techs like Coldry.
It also highlighted "low or zero emission upgrading technologies". Why is that interesting?
Page 23...fluidized bed tech - eg Shanghai Electrical
All smilies except the... "No net efficiency improvement"
Page 30...Densified Coal tech...eg Coldry
All smilies including the... ""Uses low grade heat""
Waste heat is the clear factor that distinguishes Coldry from the "rest" - inc fluidized bed tech ...according to Monash University. Significant fact.
ECT were obviously pointing to this waste heat advantage when they stated the "low or zero emission upgrading technologies on Victoria’s vast lignite reserves clearly supports economic, energy and climate security" fact when they ann today...
Coal Plus...well - JAT ann 6/3/13 non-binding LOI...and since then no ann. Strange situation there re ALDP Tom Arup. Shortlist happened Dec - where is the JAT ASX anns re the situation...?
Why is Coal Plus NOT plastered all over the JAT website...? I reckon we can discount JAT. If Coal Plus are in the game - they must be flying solo.
In any case - Coal Plus are already commercial in China - hence no ALDP according to the guidelines.
Its clear for a massive Pilbara to happen - rail/port need to be financed. I hope Shanghai Electric/Coal Plus are involved to support all that. But wrt ALDP...its a clear no no from every direction.
As others have stated (inc Monash University article) - Coldry's waste heat advantage is the no-brainer long term solution the Govts must employ. To ALDP back these Monsters with old tech is plain wrong.
Anyway...supposing Coldry did miss out on ALDP...where are we?
I would take the rejection as typical clear short sightedness by the Govts. Their legacy long term would be seen by all inc the greens to favour clearly old, commercial proven "No net efficiency improvement" coys for the pure $$ reasons that they can conveniently fund rail/port.
It would be no reflection on the Coldry/Matmor techs.
In the event of an ALDP rejection, clearly India would be the focus. Now someone might ask WHY couldnt Shanghai Electric/Coal Plus undermine Coldry in India as well?
In India no rail/port is needed - the cost is 50% less to build, India has MASSIVE water issues.
The Coldry/Matmor techs would stand on their own in India. Waste heat/water will rule. Matmor the end game that India wants BUT cant get unless they commercialise Coldry first.
The red tape will be 10% of what it is in Aust. Neyveli are 5 folding their burning capacity over the next 5 years to 5 times the size of AGL/LY.
Anyway - we all expect Coldry to win some ALDP $$$...Waste heat simply MUST be demonstrated in LV...must.
ps...No other tech Monash University researched gets the complete "tick" like Coldry did (via waste heat). Have a look at the bottom of the article - there were so many well qualified researchers involved. Fact is they were not $ incentivised to publish any of that. Nice tick for Coldry tech.
tick tock...
ESI Price at posting:
0.7¢ Sentiment: LT Buy Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)