CONSOL Energy Inc. (CEIX) and CONSOL Coal Resources LP (CCR) has recently announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which CEIX will acquire all of the publicly held CCR common units in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately US$34.4 million, based on the most recent closing price of shares of CEIX common stock. Under the merger agreement, CEIX will acquire all of the approximately 10.9…

Coal-fired power stations could be converted to entirely fossil-fuel-free generators thanks to a solution developed by Australian engineers. The University of Newcastle has patented new thermal storage material housed in stackable blocks like Lego. The blocks can store energy generated by renewables as thermal energy, which can be used to run steam turbines at power stations rather than burning coal. Measuring 20cm x 30cm x 16cm, the blocks can be…

South Korea’s largest electric utility, state-controlled Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), has decided to buy a minority stake in a coal project in Indonesia despite local opposition and growing pressure from investors for companies to ditch investments in the dirtiest fossil fuels. KEPCO’s board of directors decided on Tuesday to pursue the US$-51 million investment to buy 15 percent in the Jawa 9 & 10 coal project in Indonesia, a…