Fuel report
Coal 2019
Analysis and Forecasts to 2024
Coal
Coal supplies over one-third of global electricity generation and plays a crucial role in industries such as iron and steel.
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Despite legitimate concerns about air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, coal use is likely to continue to be significant in the future in the absence of concerted government policy. For coal to have a place as a cleaner energy source in the decades to come, greater efforts are needed by government and industry to develop and deploy less polluting and more efficient technologies.
Last updated Jun 16, 2020
Key findings
Coal demand by region and scenario, 2018-2040
OpenGlobal coal use rose for the second straight year in 2018
This rise mainly came from China, India, Indonesia and some other countries in South and Southeast Asia, regions where demand for electricity has continued to grow and coal remains the largest source of generated electricity. There is a stark variation in the coal outlook between the Stated Policies Scenario, in which global coal demand is essentially flat, and the Sustainable Development Scenario, in which it falls rapidly.
Annual change in coal demand, 1971-2020
OpenThe Covid-19 crisis pushed down global coal consumption in 2020
The lockdowns implemented in response to the Covid-19 outbreak dramatically curtailed electricity use and industrial production in most countries, pushing down global coal consumption. The size of the economic impact and the speed of recovery in the main coal-consuming jurisdictions will determine the ultimate size of the decline in global coal use in 2020.
Share of coal-fired power generation in the Sustainable Development Scenario, 2000-2040
OpenCoal-fired power is not on track
After three years of growth and a record high of over 10 000 TWh in 2018, coal-fired power generation dropped by 3% in 2019. Although coal generation plummeted in the United States and Europe, growth in China and other parts of Asia kept coal firmly in place as the largest source (36%) of power generation. That said, spending on coal-fired power reached a decade low and final investment decisions for new plants continued to decline. Preliminary IEA analysis indicates a sharp drop in power sector coal demand in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, with coal showing the greatest uncertainty of all fuels used for power. Looking ahead, coal-fired generation without CCUS needs to decrease 5.3% per year to 2030 to be in line with the SDS.
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Analysis
Flagship report
Sustainable Recovery
World Energy Outlook Special Report
Report
The Covid-19 Crisis and Clean Energy Progress
Impact on sectors and technologies
Tracking report
Coal-Fired Power
Tracking progress 2020
Tracking report
CCUS in Power
Tracking progress 2020
Tracking report
Tracking Power 2020
Tracking progress 2020
Flagship report
World Energy Investment 2020
The energy industry that emerges from the Covid-19 crisis will be significantly different from the one that came before
Statistics report
Covid-19 impact on coal
Latest data on Covid-19 impacts on coal markets
Events
18 Dec 2018
Coal 2018
24 Aug 2018
Statistics: Coal Information 2018
26 Jul 2018
Statistics: Coal Information 2018 Overview
19 Mar 2018
