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As Russia cuts gas, coal makes a comeback in Europe
Globally, coal is the main source of energy for electricity production, but it is also the top producer of greenhouse gases.
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This picture taken on November 4, 2021 shows steam rising from cooling towers of the power generating plants in the town of Singleton, some 70km (43 miles) from Newcastle, the world's largest coal exporting port. (AFP/Saeed Khan)
R
ussia's gas cuts to Europe have prompted a clutch of countries to revert to burning coal, raising concerns as the EU seeks to become climate neutral by 2050.
Here is a look at the situation:
Coal still here, but declining
Globally, coal is the main source of energy for electricity production, but it is also the top producer of greenhouse gases.
Its use is declining in the European Union, where 202 coal-fired plants with production capacity of 111 gigawatts were in operation earlier this year, according to the Global Energy Monitor, a US-based non-governmental organisation.
Germany is home to the most plants with 63, followed by 44 in neighbouring Poland and 24 in the Czech Republic.
But their use is falling in the 27-nation EU, with coal behind 13 percent of electricity production in 2020, compared to 25 percent in 2013, thanks in part to the rising cost of CO2 emission permits.
