According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global coal consumption will likely be higher than ever this year. Experts assume that fossil fuel consumption will exceed 8 billion tons for the first time in 2022.
That’s about 1.2 percent more than last year. Coal consumption is likely to remain at this level until 2025, according to the annual report released Friday.
The huge increase in coal consumption is due to the Ukrainian war. Especially in the EU, coal-fired thermal power plants had to be expanded as an alternative to Russian oil and gas. Coal is seen as a major climate culprit.
signs of trend reversal
“The world is near the peak of fossil fuel use,” said Keisuke Sadamori, the agency’s director of energy markets and security, as quoted by the IEA. The first to drop should be coal consumption, but they are not ready yet.
However, there are many indications, for example, that the current crisis has accelerated the use of renewable energy and heat pumps. This will reduce coal demand in the coming years. (SDA/smt)