For 2016, the share of coal in the global primary energy supply is 27.11%. According to the estimates of IEA, this share will be 27.05% in 2025, 25.06% in 2030 and 24.32% in 2040. How coal production and consumption are influenced by environmental regulations, clean combustion technologies, international oil and gas competition, costs, etc. what do you think?
Already 4 years ago a study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance revealed that since 2013 more capacity for renewable power is added each year than coal, natural gas, and oil combined, and that it will continue. It foreseed also that
the shift will accelerate. But on the other side, because of the financial crisis investments had fallen short of the target and many fossil fuel power plants would still be needed. (Randall, T., Bloomberg Business website, April 14, 2015, “Fossil Fuels Just Lost the Race Against Renewables”; (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/ articles/2015-04-14/fossil-fuels-just-lost-the-race-against-renewables)
Coal will continue to be used, especially by countries (for example China) who have big reserves, but more and more CO2 capturing especially in power plants will be required to make them sustainable.
Please find in my references and read more about carbon capturing in this article written in occasion of ACHEMA 2015: Innovative Chemistry is required to fight Climate Change
Waste heat exuded by thermal plants of fossil fuels like coal, oil and NG along with Green House Gas Emmissions is contributing to worsening global warming. So, renewable energy sources like solar, hydel, wind, tidal and soon are expected to rise.
Due to environmental and other regulations adopted by many countries in the last years, it is expected that the use of coal for electricity generation will be much lower than today at world level. The use of coal and oil for electricity generation in many countries will be also much lower that the use of natural and renewable for this specific purpose in the 2020s. However, during the 2020s the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation will be higher that the use of renewable for the same purpose. This situation is expected to be the same even in 2050.
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