An empirical analysis of productivity: Welsh coal industry

A non-homogeneous variable-elasticity-of-substitution production function is estimated using data for the Welsh coal industry. From 1961 to 1976 output declined, returns to scale increased and the elasticity of substitution fell. At the end of the period, the elasticity of substitution between capital and labour in the coal industry is still large and there may be room for greater employment in the industry at a time of high and rising unemployment, subject to other overall considerations. While marginal productivity of labour in physical terms has been stagnant, price rises in the industry in recent years have been in excess of what was needed to finance wage settlements. Perhaps price rises granted to the coal industry by the UK government were justified, but they require closer scrutiny.     

Pig iron production structure in Japan

Japan is the world's largest steel producing country, and around half of its total input requirements for coking coal and iron ore are sourced from Australia. Moreover, around half of Australia's total coking coal and iron ore exports go to Japan each year. Therefore, changes in the demand for these two inputs are likely to have a significant impact on Australia. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the production structure of the blast furnaces in Japan and factors affecting the demand for iron making raw materials. The empirical study is based on the generalized Leontief cost function. Because of its functional flexibility, the model allows testing various hypotheses regarding pig iron production from blast furnaces. Based on the data from 1974 to 1991, the modelling results show that the Japanese ironmaking technology, when considered as an aggregate production process using fuel and iron ore as major inputs, could be characterized by fixed factor proportions, constant returns to scale and technical changes that can be explained by systematic changes in input mix. Moreover, while there is little variation in the iron ore usage rate, variations in fuel usage rate can be explained largely by changes in the make-up of iron ore charge and blast furnace production capacity over the sample period.     

试论新疆工业发展与清洁生产水平及潜力分析

通过对新疆工业产业结构、规模、资源配置优化程度、工业发展区域等工业现状及其发展趋势分析,从宏观的角度以实例对新疆工业的清洁生产水平及新疆工业重点行业清洁生产潜力进行分析,提出新疆清洁生产总体发展思路,为新疆经济管理部门、环境管理部门贯彻《清洁生产促进法》,制定相应的清洁生产政策和法规提供参考。     

Transforming China's coal mines: A case history of the Shuangliu Mine

China is the largest coal producer and the largest coal consuming country in the world. Approximately half of China's coal comes from small‐scale mines. The sustainability of China's coal industry would be improved if a greater share of the coal come from larger‐scale mines. This article presents a case history of the Shuangliu Mine in Shanxi Province and discusses the issues and benefits of the transformation of this mine. Significant gains were observed in worker safety and benefits, and in more efficient exploitation of the coal resource. Problems included loss of employment opportunities for local labourers, and reduced revenue for local townships. The wider implications of a shift of China's coal supply from small‐scale to large‐scale mining operations are discussed in relation to economic, social and environmental aspects.     

Adoption and economic impacts of laser land leveling in the irrigated rice-wheat system in Haryana,India using endogenous switching regression

This study assesses the factors affecting the adoption of laser land leveling (LLL) and its impact on crop yields and net returns. It uses household survey data collected from 621 randomly selected farmers in Karnal District of Haryana, India, and applies endogenous switching regression models. Unbiased model results show that the adoption of LLL has significant positive impacts on yields (rice +549 kg ha⁻¹; wheat +471 kg ha⁻¹) and net returns (an aggregate increase of US$230/ha) in the rice-wheat production system, thereby raising farmers' income substantially. Our results show that LLL adoption at the farm level is influenced by land size and quality, tenure system, availability of farm machinery (tractor), access to finance and farm cooperatives, gender of household head, level of education and training and access to extension services. Therefore, LLL scaling strategies need to consider these bio-physical and socio-economic parameters to reach adoption at scale and generate large social, economic, and environmental benefits.     

浅析宁夏水泥行业清洁生产水平现状及对策

水泥行业是宁夏自治区重要的经济支柱之一,同时也是一个污染极严重的产业,给当地环境质量带来了严重影响。通过对宁夏自治区内部分水泥企业进行清洁生产水平调研,从企业的生产规模、生产装备及资源能源利用情况等方面,与《清洁生产标准水泥工业》（HJ/T467-2009）进行对比分析,总结了区内水泥行业清洁水平存在的共性问题,并依此提出了相应的对策建议。     

大连市生产性服务业效率初探——基于DEA分析

基于数据包络分析,利用BCC模型和Malmquist模型分别衡量了2003--2009年大连市生产性服务业的综合效率和全要素生产率。研究结果表明,大连市生产性服务业总体呈规模收益递减状态,技术进步是推动大连市生产性服务业发展的主要动力,产业发展呈现较大波动性。     

基于循环经济的煤炭企业生产模式研究

阐述了循环经济的内涵,分析了煤炭企业传统生产模式存在的问题,指出煤炭企业实施循环经济生产模式的必要性,提出我国煤炭企业建立循环经济生产模式的基本思路。即建立以煤炭企业为中心的小循环生产模式,以大型煤炭生产基地为中心的中循环生产模式和以社会为中心的大循环生产模式,对我国煤炭企业实施循环经济的生产模式具有指导意义。     

新疆煤化工产业开发中的环保问题分析

新疆是国家拟规划的煤化工产业基地之一,也是自治区重点发展的产业之一,目前投资开发力度很大。煤化工产业耗水量大,与石油和天然气路线比较,工艺过程复杂多变、污染物成分复杂、污染物排放量及环境影响较大。在新疆发展煤化工产业的过程中要量水而行,注意煤水资源匹配,杜绝缺水地盲目发展煤化工产业的苗头;采用先进工艺、清洁生产及循环经济理念,提高煤炭及副产物利用率,减少生产过程中的污染物排放;应充分关注配套污染治理技术的研究开发,做到污染治理技术与生产技术同步发展。     

‘Reserves’ as a leading indicator to future mineral production

The factors which influence the size and value of mineral reserves are discussed and an example is given of a more rigorous system for measuring supplies of non-renewable resources.The extent to which reserves and resources of minerals can be used as leading indicators of future mineral production is examined and examples of the dangers of over-reliance on this factor are described.Key aspects, such as confidence limits, differences in the economic exploitability, the dynamic nature of reserves, and their variability in grade, are examined in some detail using the South African coal industry as an example.     

中国环境服务业的SCP范式分析

环境服务业在环保产业中占据重要位置,环境服务业健康有序发展是"十三五"工作的重点之一。应用SCP范式,从市场结构、市场行为和市场绩效等层面分析环境服务业发展现状,总结环境服务业特点及问题,主要包括:企业普遍规模偏小,盈利水平不高,市场集中度较低;产品差异化程度低,技术和产品还具有较大的提升空间;政策、贸易等存在壁垒,产业发展受到一定制约等。最终根据分析结果及存在的问题,从制度、市场、模式、贸易等层面提出环境服务业优化建议。     

AGGREGATE MARGINAL RETURNS FROM WESTERN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE1

ABSTRACT: Pressure is increasing in the western United States to reallocate water from irrigated agriculture to other competitive uses. Since water is normally allocated through water rights and not necessarily by the price system, the question of economic efficiency is a continual concern. Study results show that returns per acre-foot of water used in western irrigation are quite high and are closely tied to the livestock industry. Returns per acre-foot of water used for crops ranged from $60 to $1,500. When water was used to support livestock, returns per acre-foot ranged from $100 to $600. Clearly, losses of water supply that reduced irrigation production could also lower farm income significantly. Estimated returns also show what alternative uses would have to pay for water under competitive market conditions. Production elasticities are also shown for various states.     

Actuarial risk assessment of expected fatalities attributable to carbon capture and storage in 2050

This study estimates the human cost of failures in the CCS industry in 2050, using the actuarial approach. The range of expected fatalities is assessed integrating all steps of the CCS chain: additional coal production, coal transportation, carbon capture, transport, injection and storage, based on empirical evidence from technical or social analogues. The main finding is that a few hundred fatalities per year should be expected if the technology is used to avoid emitting 3.67 GtCO₂ year⁻¹ in 2050 at baseload coal power plants. The large majority of fatalities are attributable to mining and delivering more coal. These risks compare to today's industrial hazards: technical, knowable and occupational dangers for which there are socially acceptable non-zero risk levels. Some contemporary European societies tolerate about one fatality per thousand years around industrial installations. If storage sites perform like that, then expected fatalities per year due to leakage should have a minor contribution in the total expected fatalities per year: less than one. But to statistically validate such a safety level, reliability theory and the technology roadmap suggest that CO₂ storage demonstration projects over the next 20 years have to cause exactly zero fatality.     

我国煤炭资源现状与综合利用途径

我国煤资源丰富,但人均占有量少,勘探程度低,可供建新井的储量不足;煤种齐全,但分布不均。在煤资源利用中应尽快改变煤资源严重浪费的状况。我国煤资源综合利用潜力大,除提高煤炭回采率、入选比、保证炼焦用煤外,还应开采煤的共生、伴生矿产,大力发展煤炭液化、气化、煤化工等深加工及综合利用技术。     

Feedlot Biomass Co-firing: A Renewable Energy Alternative for Coal-fired Utilities

The swiftly growing feedlot industry in the United States upshots in the production of manure from one or more animal species in excess of what can safely be applied to farmland, in accordance with nutrient management plans. Disposal of the vast quantity of manure produced as a by-product of the cattle feeding industry is one of the major operating tasks of the industry. Aside from the traditional means of disposal as fertilizer, an alternative and attractive way of overcoming this threat is to develop processes that make use of manure as an energy resource. In the present study, the feasibility of using manure as a fuel in existing coal fired power plants is considered and appropriately termed Feedlot Biomass (FB). The technology of co-firing coal: feedlot biomass facilitates an environment friendly utilization of animal waste for the production of valuable power/steam concurrently addressing the renewable energy, groundwater contamination, and greenhouse gas concerns. Co-firing tests were performed at the Texas A&M University 30 kW_t (100,000 Btu/h) laboratory-scale facility. The trials revealed the enhanced combustion of the blends. The NO emissions were less for the blend even with higher nitrogen content of FB, as compared to coal.     

Sources of productive efficiency: International comparison of iron and steel firms

Using a time-varying stochastic frontier model, this paper examines the technical efficiency of firms in the iron and steel industry to try to identify the factors contributing to the industry's efficiency growth. Industry observers and policymakers tend to cite most frequently three possible sources of efficiency growth: privatization; economies of scale; and vintage of equipment. Our study corroborates these factors. Based on our findings, which pertain to 52 iron and steel firms over the period of 1978–1997, privatization is likely to improve the efficiency of iron and steel firms to a great extent as evidenced in various industries. This study also provides systematic evidence that iron and steel production shows economies of scale. In addition, newer vintages of equipment are found to be closely correlated with higher levels of efficiency. This clearly indicates that investment in new plants and equipments is critical in pursuit of efficiency in the iron and steel industry.     

Economic analysis of reform policies for small coal mines in China

Over the last three decades, China’s coal industry has achieved dramatic increases in coal production, both in absolute terms and relative to the world as a whole. This achievement is due largely to its coal policies. Yet facing increasing pressures of environmental sustainability and market transition, the Chinese government was forced to make deep reforms and adjustments to regulate the coal industry effectively. This paper presents an historical overview of China’s coal economic policies, paying particular attention to the current reform policy of closing mines and restricting the yield for the small coal mines (SCMs) in the context of economic theories and methods. We argue that the SCM closure policy would not likely be efficiently enforced if a feasible market mechanism were not built up. The failure of closure policy is due largely to problems of property rights, coal pricing, ownership, and objectives.     

The measurement of resource rents: An application to Canadian nickel

Once the ‘risk’ of the industry is recognized, there are at least two sources of higher-than-normal returns to investment in mineral extraction: Ricardian rents to resources with different economic qualities and monopoly rents. An estimate of the relative importance of these sources in the Canadian nickel industry over the period 1961-74 is made and it is found that Ricardian rents and, for one firm, monopoly rents, were important.     

Structural and technological changes of greenhouse gas emissions during the transition period in Polish industry

We analyzed the patterns of energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Polish industry arising during the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. A method of analyzing industry energy use and GHG emissions is discussed. Using this method, the impact of changes in industrial production value, the share of specific industry branches in the total industrial production, energy intensity, and the mix of the energy carriers in the 1989–1993 period has been analyzed. The last year of the analyzed period shows favorable trends in efficiency and signs of production structure shift to a less energy-intensive one. Economic reform implemented after 1989, which released energy carriers' prices from government control, had important effects on the industrial sector. Energy efficiency and emission intensity trends of 1992–1994 were favorable; if they continue, production will return to 1989 levels with much lower energy consumption and significantly decreased GHG emissions.

     

煤炭产业国际竞争力的遗传—投影寻踪评价

根据煤炭产业发展的实际状况,提出了煤炭产业竞争力评价的指标体系。采用探索性数据分析—投影寻踪法,结合遗传算法,建立了遗传—投影寻踪综合评价模型。以全球11个主要产煤国为对象进行了实证研究,验证了该方法的科学性和实践的可行性,提出提升我国煤炭产业竞争力的对策建议。