The International Energy Agency (IEA) released the Global Coal Market Report (2018-2023) in Beijing on May 25. According to the report, China’s coal demand has entered a slow downward trend, and the average annual coal consumption will decline at a structural rate of less than 1%.
Coal is still the core of the global energy system, the report said. Because of the advantages of affordable price, abundant reserves and easy transportation, coal is still the main energy source in many countries. Especially in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, coal also provides energy security and energy popularization functions, and supports local economic development.
| EDTA |
The report predicts that global coal demand will remain stable in the next five years. Coal consumption in Europe and the United States will decline, but the decline will be offset by growth in India and other Asian countries. The contribution of coal to the global energy structure will decrease from 27% to 25%, mainly from renewable energy and natural gas.
According to the report, 1 ton of every 4 tons of coal in the world is used for power generation in China. Therefore, the fate of coal largely depends on China’s power sector.
Liu Baohua, deputy director of the State Energy Administration, said at the meeting that 70% of China’s coal-fired power units have achieved ultra-low emissions. China has built the largest clean coal-fired power supply system in the world, effectively alleviating the contradiction between energy supply and environmental protection, and demonstrating the clean use of coal worldwide.
The conference was jointly organized by the International Energy Agency and the National Energy Group and sponsored by China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd.
| Melamine |