While the fight against climate change ramps up, Africa’s biggest export terminal for the dirtiest fossil fuel is demonstrating that demand from developing nations continues unabated.
Coal shipments from Richards Bay last year, which primarily headed to Asia, were maintained at almost the levels of at least the previous five years. It shows the challenge for policymakers and environmentalists as coal is more affordable that most other forms of energy.
While global coal use had a historic dip in 2019, the International Energy Agency anticipates a steady increase in the next five years as growing electricity demand in developing countries outpaces a shift to cleaner sources in industrialized nations. Power generation from coal rose to an all-time high in 2018, remaining the world’s largest source of electricity.
Exports of the commodity from Richards Bay have shown no sign of slowing down, staying in a narrow range from 72 to 77 million tons annually since 2014. South Africa is the fifth biggest exporter of coal used for fuel, according to BP Plc data.