December 03, 2008

Global coal use to rocket 73% by 2030 – Mr Kemm

According to Mr Kelvin Kemm CEO of business strategy consultancy Stratek global coal use will rocket by 73% by 2030, with the world's overall energy needs rising by over 50% during that period.

Mr Kemm during a conference in Johannesburg, citing International Energy Agency figures said that in 2005, coal's total share of the energy mix was 25%, but this would rise to 28% over 25 years and by 2030, global oil demand will swell to 116 million barrels a day.

Mr Kemm said that emerging economies including India and China were driving up demand for energy and other commodities, with both of their economies growing at some 10% a year. He said that South Africa, government and State owned power utility Eskom have blamed the country's power crisis on low stockpiles and poor quality of its coal supply, which it uses to produce nearly 95% of its power output.

He added that since then, the utility has said that it aimed to procure an additional 45 million tonnes of the fuel in the near term.