GLOBAL Worldwide demand for coal could hit all-time high in 2022 Coal power is on track to hit a new global record this year after an economic rebound that could drive worldwide coal demand to an all-time high in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The amount of electricity generated from coal power plants has soared by nine per cent this year after a surge in fossil fuel demand to fuel the recovery from COVID-19 lockdowns, a report by the watchdog says. Coal power fell by four per cent in 2020 as the pandemic caused a global economic slowdown,
24 | CCAI Monthly Newslette December 2021
but the IEA found that demand for electricity this year had outpaced the growth in low-carbon sources, leading many wealthy economies to rely more heavily on fossil fuel power plants. The global gas supply crunch, which has caused record-high prices worldwide, has also helped reignite demand for coal, the IEA report says. The agency found that global demand for coal, including cement and steelmaking, rose by six per cent overall this year. Although the total falls short of record levels of demand for the fuel in 2013 and 2014, the IEA warned that without a policy intervention that high could be surpassed next year.
