Coal mining and consumption in the EU fell last year

The declining trend in coal mining and consumption, as indicated by EU statistics in recent years, continued in 2020, both for black and brown coal. This was stated on Tuesday by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. According to a Eurostat report, after a consistent decline in coal mining and consumption since 1990, this trend accelerated for both types of coal in 2019. Compared to 2018, the consumption of hard coal in 2020 decreased by 35 percent and the consumption of brown coal (mostly lignite) by 33 percent. Monthly data for 2020 show that the COVID-19 pandemic also affected coal mining and consumption, but the overall impact of the pandemic on coal production and consumption will not become clearer until the following years. In the case of hard coal, Eurostat data confirmed the reduction of production from 13 to two Member States, a significant decline in production and consumption. In 2020, the EU produced 56 million tonnes of hard coal, which is 80 percent less than in 1990. The number of Member States producing hard coal decreased from 13 in 1990 to two Member States in 2020: Poland (96 percent of total EU production) and the Czech Republic (4 percent). Consumption of hard coal has also been steadily declining since 1990. In 2020, EU hard coal consumption is estimated at 144 million tonnes - 63 percent less than in 1990. The reason for lower consumption of hard coal is the energy shift to natural gas and renewable energy sources for electricity generation, as well as the reduction in the production of coke, which is used in various industries such as iron and steel. The reduction in brown coal consumption has also been accelerating since last year. For 2020, EU consumption of brown coal, mainly lignite, is estimated at 246 million tonnes, 64 percent less than in 1990. Six countries account for 95 percent of total brown coal consumption in the EU: Germany (44 percent), Poland (19 percent), the Czech Republic (12 percent), followed by Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. Most of the EU's lignite is used to generate electricity. In 2019, 93 percent of brown coal was used for this purpose. However, its use in energy production has decreased significantly, for the same reasons as in the case of hard coal.