Coal clinging on in South and East Asia
Global demand for coal to power continues to be king, but the upside may be limited
Global coal consumption may have peaked in 2013 at a shade under 3.9bn t oe but its legacy infrastructure may give it an in-built resilience to ensure that any decline is both shallow and long. For all the fanfare about coal's demise, figures from the recently released BP Statistical Review show that 2018 demand sat merely 2.4pc below peak, and coal last year was a competitive grower in both global power generation and on the broader measure of global energy. Details were revealing. World demand for electricity soared by 3.65pc in 2018, to an all-time record high of 938.2TWh. Despite combined wind and solar providing 273TWh of that growth, 'king coal' was still the winner, providing 294TWh.
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
