{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"analysis_type":["economic feasibility study"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'economic feasibility study' for facet 'analysis_type' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":3,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?analysis_type=economic+feasibility+study","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"ember-000452","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ember-000452","title":"Methane from coal mining is a blind spot in steel’s climate impact","publisher":{"name":"Ember","organization":"ember"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2025-09-04","source_url":"https://ember-energy.org/chapter/methane-from-coal-mining-is-a-blind-spot-in-steels-climate-impact/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report argues that methane emissions from coking coal mining are a significant but under-accounted 'blind spot' in the steel industry's climate impact. It highlights that coking coal is more methane-intensive than thermal coal and that Australian mines, which supply over half of the global seaborne coking coal market, consistently underreport these emissions. Using IEA data and GWP20 metrics, the report estimates that mining emissions can add 10% to 17% to the emission intensity of blast furnace steel, with some 'gassiest' mines potentially doubling the climate footprint. It concludes that nearly half of these emissions could be abated using existing technologies at a cost lower than the market price of Australian Carbon Credit Units.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Coking coal extraction is a major source of methane emissions, which are more intense than those from thermal coal because coking coal is typically mined from deeper underground seams. The iron and steel industry is the primary driver of this demand, consuming approximately 75% of global coking coal.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Australia is a critical supplier of coking coal, providing more than 50% of the global seaborne market. In 2024, coking coal mining in Australia emitted approximately 867 kilotonnes of methane, which equals roughly 71.5 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually when using the GWP20 metric.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Methane emissions from Australian coal mines are consistently underreported, partly due to the use of standardised emission factors instead of direct measurement, especially in open-cut mines. Ember's analysis of six Australian coal regions from 2020-2021 found actual methane levels were at least 40% higher than official reports.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Methane emissions from the mining of coking coal add an estimated 10% to 17% to the emission intensity of steel produced via blast furnaces (based on GWP20). In extreme cases, coal from the most methane-intensive mines can more than double the climate footprint of blast furnace steel.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Abating methane emissions from Australian metallurgical coal mines is technically and economically viable. The IEA estimates that 45% of these emissions could be abated using existing methods, and 38% could be cut at a cost lower than the market price of Australian Carbon Credit Units, with an average mitigation cost under $14.6 USD per tonne of CO2e.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ember-000452#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["methane emissions","global warming potential","carbon accounting"],"geography_discussed":["People's Republic of China","Russia","United States","India","European Union","Japan","South Korea","Denmark","New Zealand"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["impact assessment","data gap analysis","economic feasibility study"]},{"id":"sei-002276","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/sei-002276","title":"ETUDE DE FAISABILITE ECONOMIQUE SUR LE COMPOST ET LE BIOGAZ EN COTE D’IVOIRE","publisher":{"name":"Stockholm Environment Institute","organization":"stockholm-environment-institute"},"document_type":"report","language":"fr","date_published":"2021-03","source_url":"https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/etude-de-faisabilite-economique-sur-le-compost-et-le-biogaz-en-cote-divoire-2-compressed.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report evaluates the economic potential of compost and biogas in Côte d'Ivoire using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. It finds that both sectors can positively impact GDP, job creation, and GHG reduction, though they affect different economic branches differently. Biogas shows a slightly higher potential for green growth and GHG avoidance, while compost has a stronger link to agricultural and administrative employment. The study highlights a lack of clear legal frameworks and recommends integrating waste valorization into the National Development Plan and providing financial incentives for investors.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The current legal and institutional frameworks for compost and biogas in Côte d'Ivoire are underdeveloped. For compost, the \"cadre institutionnel et juridique sur le compost est quasiment inexistant\", and for biogas, \"textes réglementaires précis n’existent donc pas encore pour encadrer la production du biogaz\".","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The compost sector is currently limited to a few actors, with only two companies—Green Countries and Biofertil—engaged in continuous production for commercialization. The value chain is described as \"quasi inexistante\".","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The biogas sector is characterized by a lack of a known value chain, with most initiatives being for internal consumption by agro-industrial companies. However, a major biomass plant with a capacity of 46 MW is under construction in the Aboisso region, expected to serve 1.7 million people annually by mid-2023.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Simulations indicate that increasing compost production by 5%, 10%, and 20% would increase real GDP by 2.5%, 4.88%, and 9.65% respectively. Similarly, increasing biogas production by the same percentages would raise real GDP by 2.79%, 5.47%, and 10.87%.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Compost and biogas have divergent impacts on sectoral employment. Compost production increases employment in agriculture and administration but decreases it in the industrial sector. Conversely, biogas production significantly increases employment in the industrial and service sectors but leads to a decrease in administrative employment.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Biogas is found to be more effective than compost in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the reference scenario, compost avoids 21,664.8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, while biogas avoids 24,532.2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Investment needs are more pronounced in the compost sector than in the biogas sector. Simulations show that a 20% increase in production leads to an 18.09% increase in investment demand for compost and a 17.55% increase for biogas.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002276#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["biogas","green growth","greenhouse gas emissions","circular economy","renewable energy","biomass","climate finance","employment"],"geography_discussed":["Aboisso Department","Abidjan"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic feasibility study","CGE modeling","impact assessment"]},{"id":"saiia-001882","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/saiia-001882","title":"Botswana’s Coal: Dead in the Water or Economic Game Changer?","publisher":{"name":"South African Institute of International Affairs","organization":"south-african-institute-of-international-affairs"},"document_type":"policy brief","language":"en","date_published":"2014-11","source_url":"https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Policy-Note-4.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"Botswana possesses 212 billion tonnes of coal, offering potential for economic diversification away from diamonds. However, the document argues that a coal export industry is likely economically unfeasible due to massive infrastructure costs—specifically a proposed $10 billion railway to Namibia—and environmental constraints. Instead, the author suggests that integrating regional fossil fuels for electricity production could address Southern Africa's power crisis, provided there is political cooperation, particularly from South Africa, and until solar baseload power becomes a viable alternative.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Botswana has significant coal reserves totaling 212 billion tonnes, though most are low grade. These deposits could potentially support an export industry of 36 million tonnes per annum (Mt/a) in the short term, potentially peaking at 72 Mt/a by 2024.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Developing a coal export industry is deemed economically unfeasible because the cost of necessary infrastructure far exceeds projected revenues. A proposed Trans-Kalahari railway line to Walvis Bay would cost approximately $10 billion in capital and $27 billion in operating costs over 30 years, while expected export revenues through 2026 are only $16.48 billion, leading to a projected net loss of $20.52 billion.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Coal extraction and export face severe environmental and geographic constraints. Botswana is landlocked and water-scarce; exporting 72 Mt/a would require 5,756,400 m3 of water annually, likely necessitating expensive piping from the Zambezi River. Additionally, using Walvis Bay as a port would require costly dredging and pose risks to Namibian fish stocks.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"India is identified as Botswana's primary target market for coal because India faces a genuine domestic supply shortage, unlike China, where imports are driven by internal logistics and environmental pressures.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Regional electricity production is a viable alternative to exports, but it is hindered by a lack of political cooperation. Specifically, South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) has not provided purchasing agreements for the 1,200 MW Mmamabule Energy Project (MEP), despite the mutual benefit of increasing regional power supply.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The document argues that utilizing coal and gas for regional electrification is a more immediate solution to Southern Africa's power crisis than waiting for solar baseload power, which is not yet a reliable or cost-competitive source.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"saiia-001882#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["coal","solar energy","renewable energy","greenhouse gas emissions","climate change","energy security","natural gas","carbon tax"],"geography_discussed":["India","People's Republic of China","South Africa","Namibia","Mozambique","United States","Walvis Bay"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic feasibility study","policy assessment","regional energy analysis"]}]}