India records 0.3% coal production in 2019, lowest since 2001: Report

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The global energy market experienced a slowdown in line with the economic slowdown in 2019, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020 report.

India, Russia and the United States felt this slump the most – despite all three displaying strong energy sector growth the previous year, .

Growth of coal production in India stood at 0.3 percent – the lowest since 2001. It is usually a driver for coal consumption.

Notably, demand from OECD countries was also at its lowest-level ever, since start of the series (1965), the report said. Global coal consumption declined by 0. 6 percent, while its share in primary energy fell to 27 percent – the lowest in 16 years.

While global coal production rose by 1.5 percent, with China and Indonesia providing the only significant increases – the biggest declines were seen in the US and Germany. The China, Indonesia and Vietnam, also drove coal consumption for the year – with China being the single-largest driver in terms of primary energy.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is also believed to have had an impact. And bp CEO Bernard Looney felt it offers a way to move towards more sustainable energy forms.

“As the world emerges from the Covid-19 crisis it needs to make decisive changes to move to a more sustainable path. The average annual growth in carbon emissions over 2018 and 2019 was greater than its 10-year average,” Looney said.

The energy mix saw increase of renewables and natural gas into the primary energy fold, and while emissions did grow in 2019, it was at a much slower rate compared to the previous year.

“The disruption to our everyday lives caused by the lockdowns has provided a glimpse of a cleaner, lower carbon world: air quality in many of the world’s most polluted cities has improved; skies have become clearer. But to get to net zero by 2050, the world requires similar-sized reductions in carbon emissions every other year for the next 25 years,” he added.