Europe Returns to Coal with Gust as Energy Crisis Worsens

While coal may not seem like a significant energy source for most of us in the Middle East, given our reliance on natural gas and liquid fuels to provide the daily energy needed to sustain our lives, the situation is quite different in advanced and emerging economies, including China and the United States, where coal remains a crucial and major energy source.

Coal is considered one of the most abundant fossil fuel sources in nature, and its use as a fuel for heating dates back to the Stone Age, but its major breakthrough came with the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

Despite its illustrious past, coal faces numerous challenges in demand due to fierce competition from other, less environmentally polluting fuel types and the environmental commitments of countries under climate change treaties.

The main problem with coal lies in its status as one of the most environmentally polluting energy sources. Coal alone accounts for over 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to a report by the Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center released last April.

Despite global efforts to reduce carbon emissions resulting from coal use, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis has cast a negative shadow on those efforts. The surge in oil and natural gas prices worldwide to record levels last year compelled countries to focus on securing their energy supplies and turn to coal, which is cheaper compared to oil and gas.

The European Union has decided to increase coal usage in the coming decade. Germany, Austria, France, and the Netherlands have announced plans to increase their coal-powered energy generation capacity in light of the potential halt of Russian gas supplies. According to estimates by the European Commission, coal usage will increase by over 5%.

China and India are also working to boost coal imports, raising questions about previous commitments to rely on green and nuclear energy sources, as well as the European Union's commitment to achieving zero-emission targets by 2050.

Especially with global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions reaching a record level last year, rising by 0.9% despite the contribution of more clean technology in mitigating the impact of increased coal and oil use, according to the International Energy Agency.

Coal-related carbon dioxide emissions also grew by 1.6% last year as many countries switched to more polluting fuels after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The International Energy Agency stated in its report that carbon dioxide emissions from oil increased by 2.5% but remained below pre-pandemic levels.

The agency added that Europe had the highest coal usage last year, and according to scientists, significant emission reductions, especially those resulting from burning fossil fuels, need to be implemented in the coming years to achieve global temperature rise mitigation goals and halt unchecked climate change.

Despite the global increase in coal demand due to the Ukrainian conflict and the surge in European demand, the return to coal was already evident in 2021 before the war broke out. Prices skyrocketed by up to 137% at peak demand times due to supply limitations.

Many countries, such as Germany, Britain, and the United States, also restarted coal-powered plants last summer due to an energy crisis caused by high temperatures and wind slowdowns, resulting in the lowest supplies from wind turbines in years.