Coal Industry

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, fossil fuel

• Formation

  Decomposed plant matter converted into peat, then coal, by heat and pressure over millions of years

• Composition

  Primarily carbon with variable amounts of hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen

• Primary Use

  Fuel for electricity generation, iron and steel-making, and other industrial processes

• Mining Methods

  Underground mining, surface pits (open cut mining, longwall mining, bord-and-pillar)

• Largest Producers

  China, Indonesia, United States, India

• Leading Exporters

  Indonesia, Australia, Russia

• Types of Coal Mined

  Bituminous coal, anthracite (black coal), lignite (brown coal), thermal coal, coking coal

• Global Coal Use (2022)

  8.3 billion tonnes

• Projected Global Demand (2030)

  7.9 billion tonnes (3% increase from 2022 levels for thermal and metallurgical coal)

• Projected Global Demand (2050)

  5.3 billion tonnes (almost a third decrease from 2022 levels for thermal and metallurgical coal)

• Second Largest Consumer (2020)

  India

• Carbon Dioxide Emissions (2020)

  14 billion tonnes

• US Coal Output Growth (1949-2011)

  More than doubled in both physical and value terms

• Largest Consumer and Importer (2020)

  China

• Global Electricity Contribution (2020)

  Over 33%

• Global Primary Energy Contribution (2020)

  Approximately 25%

• Share of Total Fossil Fuel Emissions (2020)

  40%

• US Coal Price at Mine (1949, constant 2005$)

  $36.14 per ton

• US Coal Price at Mine (2011, constant 2005$)

  $32.56 per ton

• Share of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2020)

  Over 25%

Timeline

• Coal was known and used for thousands of years, but its usage was limited. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Pre-Industrial Revolution

• Coal consumption increased significantly with the invention of the steam engine. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  Industrial Revolution

• Vast deposits of coal originated in former wetlands called coal forests. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Late Carboniferous and Permian times

• US coal output more than doubled in both physical and value terms. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1949-2011

• The US coal industry expanded dramatically. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1950-2010

• The US coal industry began a moderate decline due to productivity gains and financial market perceptions of risk. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2010s (approximate)

• Coal supplied about a quarter of the world's primary energy and over a third of its electricity. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2020

• Coal combustion released fourteen billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2020

• The United Nations Secretary General asked governments to stop building new coal plants. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2020

• Global coal use was 8.3 billion tonnes. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2022

• Global coal use is set to remain at record levels. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023

• Aggregate demand for thermal and metallurgical coal is estimated to increase by 3% to 7.9 billion tonnes, driven by rapidly growing economies in India and other developing countries in Asia and Africa. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2030 (projected)

• Coal use needs to halve from 2020 levels to meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 2 °C. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2030 (target)

• Aggregate demand for thermal and metallurgical coal is estimated to fall by almost a third to 5.3 billion tonnes, with significant decline in China, the EU, North America, and developed Asian-Pacific nations. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2050 (projected)

• Policies implemented by the Barack Obama administration negatively affected the Coal Industry in West Virginia. (Source: Related Documents)

  During Obama administration

• A global agreement to 'phase down' coal use was reached as part of the Glasgow Climate Pact (COP26). (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2021-11-01

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. It is a type of fossil fuel, formed when dead plant matter decays into peat which is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years. Vast deposits of coal originate in former wetlands called coal forests that covered much of the Earth's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) and Permian times. Coal is used primarily as a fuel. While coal has been known and used for thousands of years, its usage was limited until the Industrial Revolution. With the invention of the steam engine, coal consumption increased. In 2020, coal supplied about a quarter of the world's primary energy and over a third of its electricity. Some iron and steel-making and other industrial processes burn coal. The extraction and burning of coal damages the environment and human health, causing premature death and illness, and it is the largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide contributing to climate change. Fourteen billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted by burning coal in 2020, which is 40% of total fossil fuel emissions and over 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. As part of worldwide energy transition, many countries have reduced or eliminated their use of coal power. The United Nations Secretary General asked governments to stop building new coal plants by 2020. Global coal use was 8.3 billion tonnes in 2022, and is set to remain at record levels in 2023. To meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 2 °C (3.6 °F) coal use needs to halve from 2020 to 2030, and "phasing down" coal was agreed upon in the Glasgow Climate Pact. The largest consumer and importer of coal in 2020 was China, which accounts for almost half the world's annual coal production, followed by India with about a tenth. Indonesia and Australia export the most, followed by Russia.

Web Search Results

• Global Coal Mining Industry Analysis, 2025

  The Global Coal Mining industry mines various types of coal. Most coal mines consist of bituminous coal or anthracite, which are types of black coal. Operators may also mine lignite or brown coal. Mining occurs underground and in surface pits. Industry enterprises may also develop coal mine sites and prepare the coal for sale by washing, screening and sizing it. #### What's included in this industry? [...] Products and services covered in the Global Coal Mining industry include Thermal coal mining, Coking coal mining and Thermal lignite coal mining. #### Companies Companies covered in the Global Coal Mining industry include . Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry. #### Related Terms Related terms covered in the Global Coal Mining industry include coking coal, geosequestration, thermal coal, lignite coal, open cut mining, longwall mining and bord-and-pillar. [...] Coal mined by global coal mining companies has played a vital role in the world's ability to generate electricity and manufacture steel. Coal's position in global electricity markets stems from its relative accessibility, affordability and distribution across the globe. China, Indonesia, the United States and India are the world's largest coal producers. These countries are expected to retain their positions in the foreseeable future. The period started off shaky since it was the start of the

• Coal Industry overview: global market prospects through ...

  RU | EN # Coal Industry overview: global market prospects through 2050. Global trends The global decline in coal consumption is slower than experts expected Heavy Industry May 2023 Although coal remains as important as ever for the energy and metallurgical industries, the attitudes towards this fuel in the modern global economy are mixed. Developed countries are doing their best to find an alternative with a smaller carbon footprint: [...] We estimate that aggregate demand for thermal and metallurgical coal will increase by 3% (to 7.9 bn tonnes) by 2030, only to fall by almost a third (to 5.3 bn tonnes) by 2050. Growth in demand for coal will be observed mostly in the rapidly growing economies of India and other developing countries in Asia (mainly in Asia-Pacific) and Africa. China will demonstrate the most significant decline in coal consumption, followed by the EU, North America, and developed Asian-Pacific nations. [...] In this review that comes second in a series of three studies, we analyzed the current state and prospects of the global coal industry through 2050, focusing on the markets of China, India, and the European Union (EU). #### Global trends: each country chooses its own path

• What Is Killing the US Coal Industry?

  There are two questions we asked at the beginning of this brief: What happened to the coal industry? And what happened to coal jobs? The coal industry expanded dramatically from 1950 to 2010 and has declined moderately for the past few years, for the very clear and logical reasons articulated here. What happened to coal jobs is even simpler. It is the same thing that happened throughout much of the country — productivity gains led to fewer workers needed to produce the same output. [...] The West primarily consists of coal deposits from New Mexico and Arizona, as far north as Montana and as far east as Texas. The East primarily consists of coal deposits in the Midwest and Appalachia, from Ohio and Pennsylvania down to Alabama. Coal output in both physical and value terms more than doubled 1949-2011. According to the EIA, the price of coal at the mine was $36.14/ton in 1949 and $32.56 in 2011, in constant, inflation-adjusted 2005$. [...] Coal mining jobs are going away because of the same productivity gains that have led to fewer manufacturing jobs across the country — workers can produce more coal per hour, meaning fewer workers are needed to maintain steady coal output. Other reasons include financial markets, which may see the future of coal as risky (for a variety of reasons) and thus a poor investment.

• Reinvigorating America's Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and ...

  Section 1. Purpose. In order to secure America’s economic prosperity and national security, lower the cost of living, and provide for increases in electrical demand from emerging technologies, we must increase domestic energy production, including coal. Coal is abundant and cost effective, and can be used in any weather condition. Moreover, the industry has historically employed hundreds of thousands of Americans. America’s coal resources are vast, with a current estimated value in the [...] Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security. It is a national priority to support the domestic coal industry by removing Federal regulatory barriers that undermine coal production, encouraging the utilization of coal to meet growing domestic energy demands, increasing American coal exports, and ensuring that Federal policy does not discriminate against coal production or coal-fired electricity generation. [...] trillions of dollars, and are more than capable of substantially contributing to American energy independence with excess to export to support allies and our economic competitiveness. Our Nation’s beautiful clean coal resources will be critical to meeting the rise in electricity demand due to the resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of artificial intelligence data processing centers. We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply,

• Coal Mining in the US Industry Analysis, 2025 - IBISWorld

  environmentally-conscious production. The industry's success will hinge on innovation, supply chain resilience and the integration of diverse, sustainable ingredients. Revenue will climb at a CAGR of 1.5% over the next five years, reaching $53.6 billion in 2030.