War in the Middle East - Asia massively switches to coal due to oil and gas shortages
Kyiv • UNN
The conflict in the Middle East has forced China, India, and other Asian countries to increase coal consumption. The region is building up capacity for energy security.
Asian countries are increasing coal consumption amid disruptions in oil and liquefied natural gas supplies caused by US and Israeli military actions against Iran. This is reported by UNN with reference to Associated Press News.
Details
Another war in the Middle East is forcing countries to return to coal to cover the deficit of liquefied natural gas. Thus, India is burning more coal to meet increased summer demand. South Korea has lifted restrictions on coal-fired power generation. Indonesia is prioritizing the use of its own reserves. Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam are increasing electricity generation at coal-fired power plants.
China, the largest consumer and producer of coal in the region, has created record coal-fired power generation capacity since 2021 to improve its energy security. The country's national policy envisages further use of coal, even though huge clean energy generation capacities provide some relief.
Meanwhile, India, the second-largest consumer and producer of coal, is preparing for a hot summer and will rely more on coal to meet peak demand of 270 gigawatts – almost twice as much as Spain can produce. Coal reserves will last for approximately three months, with some reserves intended for small businesses.
Gulf States Nearing Alliance Against Iran - WSJ24.03.26, 09:34 • 2244 views