Although the government is actively searching for a replacement, coal remains the most used fuel for power production in the world. In fact, it contributes to 37% of the power that is generated every single year. Whilst the industrial revolution lead to increased coal consumption in Britain, it is shocking to discover that we don’t even rank in the top 10 for the world’s biggest coal consumers in the world! Read on to find out which countries are burning the fossil fuel like there is no tomorrow…

China

Accounting for half of the world’s total consumption, China currently uses around 3 billion tons of coal every year. In fact, just over 60% of this coal is used in order to supply energy to the Chinese population and the East Asian country is also the biggest importer of coal.

USA

Americas coal consumption was declining on a year-by-year basis for three years from 2010 however 2013 saw a 5% spike due to an increased demand for electricity. Interestingly, the USA ranks second in the top consumers of coal in the world and currently accounts for 13% of global consumption.

India

Once the fifth coal consumer in the world, India now accounts for around 8% of the world’s coal use which has bumped it up the ranks into third place. These supplies are used for just under 70% of India’s electricity generation and the amount of imported coal that India has received has increased noticeably over the past decade.

Japan

With around 3.5% of coal consumption coming from Japan, the country ranks fourth in the world and seems like a measly contributor compared to China, however it is also the second biggest global importer. Japan’s coal is used in order to supply just under 30% of the countries electricity and these levels are said to increase following plans to replace the nuclear power plants with coal.

Coal is one of the most interesting fossil fuels around. After all, it takes 300 million years to make and is limited in its supply. The top 10 highest coal consuming countries currently account for 80% of the world’s coal usage which calls into question how long our resources will last if these figures increase. Here at Pearson Fuels, we are highly educated coal merchants that are able to advise and educate our customers in order to ensure that they aren’t burning an excess amount of coal. To find out more information, get in contact with a member of the team today!