- Coal usage grows amid pressure to cut carbon emissions
- The pandemic saw a decline in the use of coal
- Analysts say the resurgence of coal may be short-lived
The world has seen a gradual increase in the use of coal for electricity generation. There was a recorded decline in the use of coal for electricity generation for years in many countries; however, in countries like the U.S., China and Europe, there has been a gradual increase in the use of coal despite growing pressure from governments, investors and environmentalists to curb carbon emissions.
Although analysts opined that the increase in the use of coal would be short-lived, this increase shows the reliance on fossil for electricity generation may persevere for a longer period. Founder, energy consulting firm, Watt-LogicKathryn Porter, said, “It’s difficult to get off coal because of security of supply. At the end of the day, you need to keep the lights on”. “When governments are faced with the choice of not supplying electricity or using coal, they will use coal.”, Porter added.
According to a Wood Mackenzie analysis of preliminary EIA data, the U.S. saw a 17% increase in the use of coal for electricity generation from 2020. In addition, coal accounts for 23% of the country’s electricity generation from January to June 2021. On the other hand, China saw a 16% increase in coal usage in the first five months of 2021.
“Electricity demand will continue to rise as we electrify more areas of the economy, and it is unthinkable that coal can be part of the mix going forward”, says Jonathan Cole, Head Offshore Wind at Spanish utility Iberdrola S.A.