China’s coal consumption set to rise in 2021 despite Beijing’s carbon neutral goal
- China, the world’s biggest coal consumer, saw overall consumption of the fossil fuel increase by 0.6 per cent in 2020 from a year earlier to around 4.04 billion tonnes
- The China National Coal Association said on Wednesday China’s coal output would increase in 2021 after it churned out 3.84 billion tonnes of coal in 2020
China’s coal consumption is expected to continue rising in 2021 despite Beijing’s pledges to boost the use of clean energy and curb greenhouse gas emissions, the China National Coal Association said on Wednesday.
“Central government has said it will continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy, and meanwhile offer the necessary supports for economic recovery … That would push up coal demand in 2021,” the association said in a statement.
It also forecast China’s coal output would increase in 2021, with the launch of new and advanced coal capacity in major coal mining regions such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
But central Chinese regions such as Hunan and Jiangxi will continue shut down their outdated coal mines.
China churned out 3.84 billion tonnes of coal in 2020, the most since 2015.