Systems-Level Repurposing of Coal Assets: Insights from South Africa, India, and the United States

The global coal value chain is extensive and spans countries. Nearly 7,000 coal mines collectively produce over 8.5 billion tons of coal every year. More than 2,400 coal-fired power plants across the globe operate with a capacity of 2,175 GW. Then, there are numerous rail networks, trucks, and port terminals that constitute parts of the coal value chain. Yet in a net-zero world, this value chain will need to shrink rapidly, which could negatively impact the economies and communities that currently depend on it. Scholars and practitioners believe that repurposing elements of the coal value chain for other uses—such as using repurposed coal mines for solar—could be an innovative way to boost the overall energy transition and facilitate a just transition for local communities. However, prior studies and real-world practice has focused on repurposing individual assets such as individual coal power plants. The authors fill this gap and others by constructing three comparative case studies—focusing on South Africa, India, and the United States—to describe the current state of repurposing efforts in each country and explore the potential for systems-level repurposing. They find that different countries are at different stages of repurposing research, planning and implementation and identify three promising pathways for systems-level repurposing: alternative energy, overburden to sand, and agriculture.