China’s Coal Production Surged in 2021

 Coal has a huge impact on the environment, and countries are trying to get rid of it as soon as possible. Despite its impact, China heavily relies on coal. In 2021, China’s coal production reached record levels as the government encouraged miners to ramp up their fossil fuel output to protect China’s energy supplies through the winter gas crisis.

The world’s biggest coal producer mined 384.67 million tons of fossil fuel last month. China even surpassed its previous record of 370.84 million tons set in November. 

Based on the official government figures, China’s coal binge also spurred the country to record high coal output over the year as a whole. The country’s coal production climbed to a record high of 4.07 billion tons, up 4.7% from the previous year. 

IEA and China’s coal production

Coal is the world’s single biggest source of climate emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) that global consumption of coal power would jump to record levels in 2021, driven by a surge in demand for energy to boost global economies following the coronavirus pandemic. 

One year earlier, coal power fell by 4% in 2020 as the pandemic triggered a global economic slowdown. However, the IEA found that the surge in demand for electricity during 2021 outpaced the growth in-low carbon sources. 

The information about China’s record coal consumption comes weeks after the conclusion of the Cop26 climate talks. 

The International Energy Agency found that coal plants in the EU and the U.S. produced 20% more electricity last year, from low levels in 2020. Still, their use remained below the levels recorded in 2019.  

The reliance on the world’s single biggest source of climate emissions is expected to decline again next year. Especially as electricity demand slows and the expansion of eco-friendly alternatives. 

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