Global coal consumption has risen to a record high this year. The Iea energy agency writes it on Friday. The agency expects the world to continue to rely on the commodity at the same rate in the coming years.
Global consumption will exceed 8 billion tonnes for the first time this year, up 1.2% from 2021. In addition to the relatively cheap return to coal to replace Russian gas, weather conditions in some parts of the consumer world.
Heatwaves have required more electricity, but hydroelectric plants could generate less due to drought. The amount of energy generated by nuclear power plants has also been disappointing, especially in the European Union. In France, nuclear power plants have been closed for maintenance.
The EU wants to reduce its use of coal, but in 2022 it will consume more than the previous year for the second consecutive year. According to the IEA report, this is temporary and consumption in 2025 will be below the 2020 level.
The Netherlands had also previously taken steps to reduce coal-fired power plants due to the climate, but these were temporarily lifted due to the energy crisis.
After India (7%), the EU is the economy with the strongest increase (6%) in coal consumption. China, India and Indonesia – the world’s three largest coal producers – are hitting record highs this year. Coal is by far the largest CO2 emitting energy source and the IEA expects it to stay that way for a while.
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