Coal sales to rebound with first gains in years in US, Europe

Despite the global shift toward economies based on renewable energy, the dirtiest fossil fuel looks set to keep its role as the world’s biggest power source although its share will slip to 35% in 2021 from 36.5% last year.

Coal use in power generation globally is expected to increase by as much as 2.8% next year as electricity demand rebounds particularly in Asia, the IEA said in its 2020 coal report.

Over the next five years, global demand is forecast to “flatten out” at around 7.4-billion tons, as declines in Europe and the US will offset any increased use in Asia. The main drivers of demand for the fuel will continue to be China and India, which both rely heavily on the fuel in their energy mix.

While the fossil fuel will remain essential to the world economy, the IEA said that unless there are unforeseen developments that would significantly boost demand, it’s likely that consumption peaked in 2013.

EU coal demand is expected to increase marginally for the first time since 2012, rising 3.5%. The US rebound will be the first since 2014, increasing consumption by 11.1% next year.