China coal use increases despite pollution plans

23 july 2018

China’s coal consumption appears to be rising at a rapid rate in 2018, erasing several years of low growth and environmental restraint. In the first five months of the year, China used 870 million metric tonnes of “thermal” coal, a 12% increase from a year earlier. The growth rate was the highest since 2011, said the website of the official Economic Daily, citing a statement by the National Development and Reform Commission.

The volume estimate is only for thermal coal, used for power and heat, other websites reported. The tonnage figure also covered only coal used to generate electricity, the official English-language China Daily said.

Still, the double digit growth rate is cause for environmental concern.

If the country continues the 12% growth pace through the entire year for all coal use, consumption would tie the record mark of 4.24 billion tons set in 2013, based on calculations from National Bureau of Statistics data.

While the NBS has yet to release final figures on total tonnage for either 2016 or 2017, it has estimated that coal consumption rose 0.4 % last year, posting the first increase in four years.

The consequences for greenhouse gas emissions and climate change could be significant.

China produced 46.4 % of the world’s coal and consumed 50.7 % of the global total last year, based on energy equivalent estimates by BP Statistical Review of World Energy.

The country was by far the world’s largest source of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 27.6 %, the annual review estimated.

China’s CO2 emissions rose 1.6 % in 2017 after declining in the previous two years, it said.

Mr Elliot Diringer, executive vice president of the US-based Center for Climate and Energy Solutions told National Public Radio on July 8 that “China’s emissions spiked in the first quarter of this year” after “more or less stabilizing” previously.

Worsening smog conditions are believed to be the reason for an extraordinary session of China’s top legislative body on July 9 to review implementation of the country’s Air Pollution Control Law.

A report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress highlighted double-digit reductions in smog-forming particles known as PM2.5 over a five-year period in major economic centers.

Source: RFA