Climate Activists Disrupt Operations at World’s Largest Coal Port

Operations at the coal port of Newcastle, Australia have experienced significant disruptions after climate activists took over the harbor with a flotilla of kayaks and watercraft in a protest designed to push for higher taxes on the fossil fuel.

Activists led by the groups Rising Tide and Greenpeace Australia Pacific have paralyzed operations at the busy port since November 27 after staging what is being termed as the ‘People’s Blockade’, protests that have affected ships movements and led to the arrest of about 150 people.

With thousands of people taking over Newcastle Harbor in what is being billed as the biggest disruptive climate protest in Australian history, at least three ships have been stopped from docking at the port to load coal. On November 30, the operator of the harbor, the Port Authority of New South Wales, was forced to cancel inbound shipping movements for hours, citing a “risk to safety” posed by the protestors.

Among the ships that were caught in the protests was the 95,750 dwt bulk carrier Ragnar, which was supposed to load coal destined for China. The vessel was unable to enter the harbor and was turned around. The previous day, the 85,000 dwt Singapore-flagged bulk carrier Cemtex Leader had been prevented from docking at the port to load a cargo of coal destined for Japan.

On December 1, at least 16 activists locked themselves on to coal equipment at the port, causing coal loading to stop.

The five-day protest, which has led to the arrests of about 150 people, has significantly impacted operations at the port, which has nine dedicated berths for handling of coal. The port is witnessing a significant surge in coal exports, handling 150 million tonnes of coal last year - a 3.8 percent increase from 2023.

The blockade is aimed at pushing the Australian government to stop approving new coal mines and introduce a 78 percent tax on profits generated from coal exports. The activists, who unfurled a banner saying ‘stop exporting climate chaos’ and wrote ’78 percent tax on fossil fuels’ in chalk, believe that funds raised from the tax can be channeled towards securing jobs that are increasingly coming under threat from the green transition.

“We are disrupting coal exports from Newcastle again today because the government is failing to act on climate and failing to support workers with a well-funded transition plan to support new jobs and industries,” said Zack Schofield, Rising Tide spokesperson.

He added that the federal government is protecting the profits of multinational coal corporations instead of providing much needed support for the communities that will be most impacted as global markets turn away from polluting coal.

The protests are expected to further dampen Australia’s coal industry, which is already grappling with a bleak future due to declining demand from China, its key market. The government is already warning that coal revenues, which stood at $59.7 billion in 2023-24, are projected to drop to $26 billion in 2024-25 and $23.5 billion in 2025-26.