Coal

Demand for Coal

Worldwide proven coal reserves are more than 847 billion tons—enough to last approximately 130 years at current consumption levels. The countries with the largest reserves of coal are the United States, Russia, China and India. Together they make up 67% of the world’s coal reserves.

Coal provides 26% of global primary energy needs and generates 41% of the world’s electricity, according to the World Coal Institute Coal Facts 2008. The US Energy Information Administration expects coal use to double by 2030 to meet rising world energy demand.

Uses for Coal

In some countries, coal may be burned directly for heat or cooking, but most coal is used in power plants to generate electricity. Coal has plenty of uses outside of electricity too. Materials that contain coal and coal coke (a concentrated form of coal that has been stripped of its volatile materials) are used in many products we use every day, including:

• Tar
• Perfumes
• Golf balls
• Chalk
• Paper clips
• Sugar substitute
• Soap
• Aspirin
• Dyes