India’s coal demand grew at highest pace globally in 2022
20 Dec 2022
3 Min Read
CW Team
The biggest yearly growth rate of any nation will be seen in India's demand for coal in 2022, driven
by increased coal-based power generation to combat above-average summer heat and growing
economic activity.
The second-largest consumer of coal in the world increased its consumption by 14% year over year
(Y-o-Y) to 1,033 million tonnes (MT) in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency's most
recent data.
The analysis predicted that stronger power sector use would drive the highest growth in coal
demand this year, which would occur in India (7% or 70 MT), the European Union (6% or 29 MT), and
China (0.4% or 18 MT).
The IEA research noted that India's consumption has increased by a factor of two since 2007 at an
average annual growth rate of six percent, and it is expected to continue to drive growth in the
world's demand for coal.
"In India, the government has long attempted to boost production in order to decrease imports. The
first occasion that coal production exceeded 800 MT was in 2021. We anticipate that India would
produce more than 1 billion tonnes by 2025," it continued.
Power sector
"We anticipate a 7% increase in coal demand in 2022. The Indian economy is performing
extraordinarily well, with GDP expected to grow by 7.3% this year, according to the IEA, despite the
slowdown in global growth.
A significant growth in energy consumption, of which 73% will be produced by coal-fired power
plants in 2022, is substantially driving up demand.
"Due to the strong economic growth, we anticipate a 7% increase in electricity demand. The extreme
heat wave that occurred from March to early May also helped to increase demand. The daily power
deficit in April was up to 15% in a few states and was roughly 5% of the total supply nationwide.
We anticipate a 7% increase in coal usage in the power sector in 2022 due to the tight electricity
markets, the report stated.
Non-power sector
Steel and cement, two sectors that rely heavily on coal, grew in 2022. Average monthly cement
production increased year over year by 11% from January to September. Before slowing down in July
as the start of the monsoon season slowed down construction, the growth rate peaked in May.
Production of hot metal and sponge iron climbed by an average of 6% and 1% per month,
respectively.
According to the paper, "overall, we anticipate 2022 thermal coal usage outside the power industry
to climb by 7% and met coal by 2%.
Global demand
Coal consumption growth is anticipated to drop significantly in 2022, increasing by just 1.2%, but still
breaking previous records, totaling 8,025 MT, slightly more than in 2013. (7,997 MT).
First, limited natural gas supplies and high gas prices are pushing several nations and businesses to
switch to relatively less expensive coal. Second, increased electricity consumption and decreased
hydropower production in some parts of the world caused a gap that had to be supplied mostly by
dispatchable thermal power plants.
Finally, the production of nuclear electricity was incredibly low in 2022, particularly in Europe where
France had to shut down a sizable amount of its nuclear capacity for maintenance.
The biggest yearly growth rate of any nation will be seen in India's demand for coal in 2022, driven
by increased coal-based power generation to combat above-average summer heat and growing
economic activity.
The second-largest consumer of coal in the world increased its consumption by 14% year over year
(Y-o-Y) to 1,033 million tonnes (MT) in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency's most
recent data.
The analysis predicted that stronger power sector use would drive the highest growth in coal
demand this year, which would occur in India (7% or 70 MT), the European Union (6% or 29 MT), and
China (0.4% or 18 MT).
The IEA research noted that India's consumption has increased by a factor of two since 2007 at an
average annual growth rate of six percent, and it is expected to continue to drive growth in the
world's demand for coal.
In India, the government has long attempted to boost production in order to decrease imports. The
first occasion that coal production exceeded 800 MT was in 2021. We anticipate that India would
produce more than 1 billion tonnes by 2025, it continued.
Power sector
We anticipate a 7% increase in coal demand in 2022. The Indian economy is performing
extraordinarily well, with GDP expected to grow by 7.3% this year, according to the IEA, despite the
slowdown in global growth.
A significant growth in energy consumption, of which 73% will be produced by coal-fired power
plants in 2022, is substantially driving up demand.
Due to the strong economic growth, we anticipate a 7% increase in electricity demand. The extreme
heat wave that occurred from March to early May also helped to increase demand. The daily power
deficit in April was up to 15% in a few states and was roughly 5% of the total supply nationwide.
We anticipate a 7% increase in coal usage in the power sector in 2022 due to the tight electricity
markets, the report stated.
Non-power sector
Steel and cement, two sectors that rely heavily on coal, grew in 2022. Average monthly cement
production increased year over year by 11% from January to September. Before slowing down in July
as the start of the monsoon season slowed down construction, the growth rate peaked in May.
Production of hot metal and sponge iron climbed by an average of 6% and 1% per month,
respectively.
According to the paper, overall, we anticipate 2022 thermal coal usage outside the power industry
to climb by 7% and met coal by 2%.
Global demand
Coal consumption growth is anticipated to drop significantly in 2022, increasing by just 1.2%, but still
breaking previous records, totaling 8,025 MT, slightly more than in 2013. (7,997 MT).
First, limited natural gas supplies and high gas prices are pushing several nations and businesses to
switch to relatively less expensive coal. Second, increased electricity consumption and decreased
hydropower production in some parts of the world caused a gap that had to be supplied mostly by
dispatchable thermal power plants.
Finally, the production of nuclear electricity was incredibly low in 2022, particularly in Europe where
France had to shut down a sizable amount of its nuclear capacity for maintenance.
Next Story
Karnataka Considers One-Time Settlement of Contractor Dues
The Karnataka government is mulling a one-time settlement plan to address pending dues of Rs 320 billion owed by eight departments, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to private contractors across the state.This proposal was discussed in a meeting between Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Karnataka State Contractors� Association president R Manjunath in Bengaluru. Manjunath noted that small- and medium-scale contractors were the most affected by the prolonged payment delays, with some waiting for up to two years.The Deputy Chief Minister directed officials to pri..
Next Story
Datta Infra Appoints Kirti Manucha as HR Head
Datta Power Infra, a leading Indian infrastructure and renewable energy firm, has appointed Kirti Raj Manucha as its new Head of Human Resources, effective April 2025. The move reflects the company’s commitment to aligning its expanding operations with a forward-looking and resilient people strategy.With nearly 30 years of experience across multiple industries, Manucha brings deep expertise in human capital transformation. In her new role, she will oversee key HR functions including workforce planning, talent management, leadership development, and the digital transformation of HR processes...
Next Story
JM Financial Bets on Banks, Defence, and Infra
JM Financial has unveiled its India Model Portfolio with a strategic overweight on sectors such as banking, real estate, telecom, infrastructure, and defence, while maintaining an underweight position on internet platforms, utilities, cement, pharmaceuticals, and consumer staples. The brokerage described this sectoral positioning as part of a broader thematic view influenced by improving macroeconomic indicators, a more growth-oriented Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and valuation divergences across market capitalisations.JM Financial's portfolio reflects a +119 basis points (bps) overweight on b..