Beyond Coal: A Turning Point for Global Power
The State of Coal in 2024
The main driver of global coal demand is coal-fired power generation. In 2024, it reached its highest recorded level at 10,766 terawatt hours.
2024 also saw an all-time high for global coal production of 9.15 Bt.
Despite a decline in coal power generation in China (due to a surge in power output from renewables), global coal demand is forecast to rise slightly in 2025.
Coal remains the single largest contributor to energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
A Turning Point
We have, however, reached a turning point.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that electricity generation from renewable sources will surpass coal-fired generation by as early as 2025 or 2026.
For the first time in a century, coal’s share in total generation will drop below 33%.
The rapid roll-out of clean energy technologies is reshaping the global electricity sector.
After a plateau, coal should start declining by 2027, despite electricity demand increasing.
That’s a huge step forward, but it also raises a critical question we don’t hear often enough:
What Happens to Coal Infrastructure?
If renewables are rising and coal will be falling, what happens to all the infrastructure coal leaves behind?
🌍 Thousands of coal power plants are still in operation.
🏗️ Trillions have been invested in sites, equipment, and grid connections.
👷 Millions of people still work in the coal industry.
Shutting these plants down early helps carbon reductions, but often means stranded assets, lost jobs, and slower energy access in regions that need it the most.
Coal power provides other functions which must be replaced, such as residential heating.
New renewables still need connections to the grid, and increasingly unpredictable weather can lead to fluctuations in renewable generation.
Adding extra renewable capacity is important, but coal must also be taken out of the equation faster.
Repowering: Transforming What Already Exists
We believe there’s another way forward.
Replace coal boilers with clean, low-carbon heat sources such as nuclear, advanced geothermal, concentrated solar power, or thermal energy storage.
Repowering coal plants cuts emissions fast, and keeps what is working.
It’s not just about building new.
It’s about transforming what we’ve already built.