usatoday24
Although the entire world is looking towards renewables and there are different projects focused on it, many countries still depend on coal. However, this time the country that slows this progression is not China, but a competitor has come out very geographically: India.
The demand for coal. The price fixer in Asia He has marked That coal prices have dropped, around $ 100 per ton due to a temperate winter and an excess world supply, levels not seen since May 2021. However, this fall can be temporary, since investment in new production has decreased while demand Keep increasing In countries like India and China, which would cause a rebound in prices and keep coal as a necessary source globally.
But wasn’t it reducing? On the one hand, some countries have managed to reduce or eliminate their dependence on this fossil fuel, such as Spain that He advanced his goal to close the coal or the United Kingdom plants that ended the carbon era After 142 years. For its part, Chile has implemented a tax Carbon pioneer, which accelerated its transition to clean energy.
On the other hand, shareholders and banks are They have denied to finance projects related to this fossil fuel. However, the demand continues to grow in India and China, since they cannot meet the demand of their populations only with renewable energy.
In data. India is the country that is most using coal. In fact, your demand scope The 1.5 billion tons for five years, which represents an annual increase of approximately 3%. India, with a very high demography, is using coal for the electrification of millions of homes, the expansion of the industry and the need to meet an energy demand in constant growth.
However, they are closely followed or they are even almost with China. In spite of all Investment in renewable energy, closed last year With a world demand for coal of 8,770 million tons, that is, consuming 30% more than the rest of the world together.
Doesn’t India invest in renewables? In recent years, he has invested in solar energy, establishing objectives such as reach 500 GW By 2030. In addition, has launched several projects to promote the development of renewable energy, such as the “National Solar Energy Program”. However, the infrastructure remains insufficient and the intermission of energy generation continues to bring them problems.
The dependence of other countries. Not everything falls to India and China, there are other countries that are depending on coal by The need for continuous energy due to data centers and artificial intelligence.
However, we will mention more specific cases. The German case that still has to depend on coal plants due to delays in the construction of new gas plants. For their part, Japan and South Korea continue to depend on coal to guarantee a stable energy offer, especially in winter. Finally the case of the United States than with The new energy policies Return to this fossil fuel.
Forecasts The International Energy Agency has observed That world demand for coal will increase. Although prices are now low, this will change for the lack of investment and the continuous increase in demand. While China and India continue to burn coal, the problem will not be so much prices but to disrupt global climatic ambitions.
Image | Jepoirrier
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