Global coal-fired power generation hits new high in 2023

• 10 months ago (2024-01-19)
• David Flin

Coal 296

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Global electricity generation from coal hit a record high in 2023 as coal’s use in power systems continues to grow despite efforts to cut back on its use.

According to the environmental think tank Ember , coal-fired electricity generation through October 2023 was 8295 TWh, up 1 per cent from the same period in 2022, and the highest on record. Emissions from coal-fired electricity generation also reached a new high, topping 7.85 billion tons of CO2 and equivalent gases for the period, around 66.7 million tons more than during the same period in 2022.

The footprint of the use of coal in power generation is heavily concentrated in Asia, with Europe and North America having adopted measures to reduce the use of coal for power. Coal-fired electricity generation increased on the year in China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Coal-fired output declined by 8.2 per cent in Japan and by 4 per cent in South Korea, but these reductions were offset by the increase in Vietnam alone.

Globally, around 82 per cent of all coal-fired power generation took place in Asia in 2023, up from 75 per cent in 2019. Total volumes of Asia’s consumption of coal look set to continue to rise, especially in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, despite promises made at COP28.