Coal in Europe

Coal in Europe is a term describing the use of coal as an energy source in Europe, including both thermal coal used for power generation and coking coal used for steel production.

Coal power generation in the European Union (EU) has decreased by almost one-third since 2012, consistent with their commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. These decarbonisation efforts have prioritized a transition away from coal in favor of renewable energy and carbon capture technologies, which has led to the close of mines and power plants in EU coal regions.^[2] In 2023, fuel made from coal constituted 13% of the EU's electricity generation.^[3]

Despite a 4.3% increase in the EU's coal consumption in 2022 alongside an all-time high globally, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted that the demand for coal would decrease in the majority of advanced economies in 2023 with any subsequent rise unlikely to occur again.^[4] The largest declines in consumption are anticipated in the EU and the United States with a reduction of around 20% in 2023.^[5]