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Coal
Global coal demand to remain on a plateau in 2025 and 2026
Despite unusual trends across several major markets in the first half of 2025, global coal demand is likely to remain broadly unchanged to 2027 as underlying structural drivers of the world’s coal use remain stable.
Global coal demand increased to a new all-time high in 2024 of around 8.8 billion tonnes, up 1.5% from 2023, as rising consumption in China, India, Indonesia and other emerging economies more than offset declines in advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. However, several of those…
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Coal Mid-Year Update 2025
Coal’s role in the global energy system today remains significant. Over the past decade, the world’s demand for coal has stayed relatively stable, apart from a temporary drop during the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid rebound that followed. Today, global coal consumption, power generation, production and trade are all at record levels.In many countries, coal continues to be the leading source of electricity generation, helping to meet growing energy needs. These trends carry major implications for energy security, affordability and sustainability, especially as coal remains the single largest contributor to energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. While…
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Coal 2025
…energy capacity – particularly in China, the world’s biggest coal consumer – has the potential to curb demand. At the same time, the coming wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, which is likely to bring more abundant supplies and lower prices to natural gas markets, could prompt some regions to favour gas over coal.Coal 2025 – the latest annual market report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) – explores the implications of these key developments and more. Drawing on the latest data, it analyses recent trends and provides forecasts through 2030 for coal demand, supply and trade by grade and…
- Executive summary
- Demand
- Supply
- Trade
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+ 2 pages
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Financing the Modernisation of Power Systems Beyond Coal
…emissions from operating plants, and considers the investment and power system planning challenges of replacing coal generation while maintaining essential system services. It also reviews project‑based and emerging jurisdictional approaches to transition credits, focusing on methodologies for the early retirement of grid‑connected coal plants and their replacement with clean energy.By examining these issues from a power system, investment and carbon markets perspective, the report aims to provide a clearer understanding of coal transition strategies and outlines recommendations for countries that may choose to explore transition credits as an option to reduce the role of coal in their electricity mix.
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Global Energy Review 2026 Coal
…nickel in Indonesia Flat coal consumption in China in 2025 drove a global slowdown China consumes 30% more coal than the rest of the world put together. As a result, it remains the main driver of global demand trends. Overall, coal demand in China in 2025 stayed very close to 2024 levels, recording a slight increase of 0.1%.While China saw continued strong electricity demand growth in 2025, this was met by a combination of fast growth in solar PV and wind generation, increased hydropower output and growth in nuclear power. As a result, coal electricity generation in China…
- Key findings
- Global trends
- Oil
- Natural gas
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+ 9 pages
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Global Energy Review 2025 Coal
…s influence in global coal market trends is unparalleled by any country for any type of fuel, with China’s share of global coal consumption now standing at 58%.In 2024, electricity demand in China was very strong, rising by 7% (or over 550 TWh). Despite huge solar PV and wind capacity additions in recent years – as well as a recovery in hydropower output in the first half of the year due to higher rainfall, plus increases in nuclear, biomass and gas power generation – there was still a gap between the additional electricity demand and supply. Coal generation filled this gap…
- Key findings
- Global trends
- Oil
- Natural gas
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+ 3 pages
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Coal 2025 Investments in coal projects and emissions abatement
New projects increase the capacity of the project pipeline Forthcoming export-oriented coal projects in our database have a total capacity of 493 Mtpa at the time of writing, 63 Mtpa higher than in our previous report. This increase in the project pipeline is due to improved research on Indonesia rather than more projects actually being developed. This report classifies projects as either more advanced or less advanced based on whether they have received the necessary approvals and permits in their respective countries. The capacity of less-advanced projects declined from 275 Mtpa to 210 Mtpa. Some projects failed to obtain environmental approvals due…
- Executive summary
- Demand
- Supply
- Trade
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+ 2 pages
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Zambia
Coal production is set to increase in Zambia, but exports remain limited to trade with neighbouring countries. The country has recently made good progress regarding electrification rates through a large push for mini-grid and off-grid solutions in rural areas.
- Overview
- Energy mix
- Emissions
- Electricity
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+ 5 pages
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South Africa
Coal is the mainstay of the South African energy system, meeting around 70% of installed power generation capacity. The 2019 Integrated Resource Plan however sets out a long-term diversification of the power mix by 2030 and moves towards lightening the carbon footprint of the energy sector while meeting growing energy demand and ensuring a socio-economically just transition. While the options to diversify the country's electricity mix appear diverse, the affordability of electricity supply looms as a key concern and a potential constraint on diversification. The structure of consumption and of spending on electricity is skewed towards higher…
- Overview
- Energy mix
- Emissions
- Electricity
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+ 5 pages
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Mongolia
Coal is the first source of electricity generation in Mongolia, but the country has recently begun using hydro, solar and wind power, and has adopted a law aiming to increase and regulate the use of renewables.
- Overview
- Energy mix
- Emissions
- Electricity
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+ 5 pages
![Mongolia Flag]()
