Despite all the billions invested in green energies, they haven’t been able to prove themselves as a reliable source of electricity.
Wind and sun are just too volatile, and inefficient.
So it’s little surprise that the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the amount of electricity generated worldwide from coal is surging towards a new annual record in 2021.
The rise in coal-fire power generation undermines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially putting global coal demand on course for an all-time high next year, the International Energy Agency said in its latest annual market report.
The jump in coal-fired power generation is attributed to “the rapid economic recovery.”
After falling in 2019 and 2020, global power generation from coal is expected to jump by 9% in 2021 to an all-time high of 10,350 terawatt-hours, according to the IEA’s Coal 2021 report, which was released today.
The steep rise in natural gas prices has also increased demand for coal power by making it more cost-competitive.
New all-time highs could be expected in 2022
Overall coal demand worldwide – including uses beyond power generation, such as cement and steel production is forecast to grow by 6% in 2021. That increase will not take it above the record levels it reached in 2013 and 2014.
But, depending on weather patterns and economic growth, overall coal demand could reach new all-time highs as soon as 2022 and remain at that level for the following two years, underscoring the need for fast and strong policy action.
Nine percent growth forecast in China
In China, where more than half of global coal-fired electricity generation takes place, coal power is expected to grow by 9% in 2021 despite a deceleration at the end of the year.
In India, it is forecast to grow by 12%. This would set new all-time highs in both countries, even as they roll out impressive amounts of solar and wind capacity.
While coal power generation is set to increase by almost 20% this year in the United States and the European Union, that is not enough to take it above 2019 levels.
Blame China, India
“The pledges to reach net zero emissions made by many countries, including China and India, should have very strong implications for coal – but these are not yet visible in our near-term forecast, reflecting the major gap between ambitions and action,” said Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and Security at the IEA.
“Asia dominates the global coal market, with China and India accounting for two-thirds of overall demand. These two economies – dependent on coal and with a combined population of almost 3 billion people – hold the key to future coal demand.”
Coal prices have been on a rollercoaster ride over the past two years. After falling to USD $50 per tonne in the second quarter of 2020, they started to climb towards the end of the year, with supply cutbacks balancing the market before rebounds in economic activity and coal demand in China started pushing prices up.
In 2021, prices were lifted further by demand outstripping supply in China – the global coal price setter – as well as by supply disruptions and higher natural gas prices globally.
Coal prices reached all-time highs in early October 2021, with imported thermal coal in Europe, for example, hitting USD $298 per tonne.
Quick policy intervention by the Chinese government to balance the market had a rapid effect on prices. As of mid-December, European prices were back below USD $150 per tonne.
Read more at No Tricks Zone
“Blame China, India” , for what?
If the West looked after its own interests, the Third World wouldn’t be so busy burning coal.