Thermal Coal

Energy demand means there is now more coal produced and consumed than ever before. Coal demand reached a new record [1].

The IEA forecasts that growth in coal usage will continue in India and the ASEAN regions, alongside the growth in the use of renewables globally.

This means demand for coal from Australia, which is ideally placed to meet the expanding markets of South East Asia, will continue for decades to come.

Australian coal has good energy properties and low ash content, low sulphur and low trace elements, and has a shorter shipping distance to South East Asia than coal from some other regions.

These qualities mean Australian coal has a role to play in supporting economic growth and reduction in poverty, while moving towards global emissions reductions goals.

Baseload power is the transformative element that helps people in poverty in nations like India, Vietnam, and the Philippines who struggle to turn the lights on at night.

Electrifying energy systems and replacing burning wood and biomass with coal fired power and renewable power is also one of the big opportunities in reducing emissions.

Baseload power from coal has a direct role to play in supporting that economic transformation, as part of a sustainable global energy mix.