The International Energy Agency's view on global coal demand has been consistent, but it has also been wrong. [emphasis, links added]
In 2015, the Paris-based agency declared that “the golden age of Chinese coal appears to be over.” That year, Global coal demand is expected to drop to 5.5 billion tons in 2020.
The IEA said in its 2017 World Energy Outlook that “China remains a significant player in the coal market, but our forecasts suggest that coal use peaked in 2013 and will fall by almost 15% by 2040. .
In 2020, the agency said, “Looking to 2025, coal demand is expected to flatten.” It continued,
“Barring unforeseen developments that significantly boost coal demand in emerging Asia and China, global coal demand is likely to peak in 2013 at just over 8B tonnes.”
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong again.
today, The IEA released the “Coal 2024” report stating that global coal use will grow by another 1% this year, reaching a record high of 8.77 billion tons.
The agency also reported:
“Coal demand, production, coal-fired power generation and international coal trade will exceed the records set in 2023 and set new all-time records.”
This is the key line:
“The power sector has been the main driver of coal demand growth, with coal generation reaching a record high of 10,700 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024.”
Why is this important? Electricity is our most desired form of energy. Electricity drives modernization and economic growth.
Although coal has many disadvantages, Countries like China and India burn staggering amounts of fuel Because it allows them to Produce the large volumes of juice consumers need for their economy at a price consumers can afford.
Burning coal also allows China and India to continue manufacturing and exporting countless items – from solar panels and iPhones to clothing and jewelry – that Western consumers can't imagine life without.
also, The continued surge in coal use has discredited the claim that global greenhouse gas emissions will be significantly reduced.
According to the International Energy Agency, Coal burning accounts for 40% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
So while legions of Gucci Canyon lobbyists are trying to defend the corporate welfare provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act under the guise of climate action, Europe's simple-minded, pink-haired climate activists are glueing themselves to airport runways and On Van Gogh’s paintings—— The International Energy Agency's report shows that the coal king is not dead yet, and it's far from over.
Top Photos of Coal Loading Terminals in India by Vizag Explore on Unsplash
Read “Rest” by Robert Bryce
