Coal in South Africa
Coal mining and consumption in South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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As of 2011, South Africa produces in excess of 255 million tonnes of coal[1] and consumes almost three-quarters of that domestically.[2] As of 2018, South Africa was the seventh largest producer and consumer of coal in the world.[3] The industry, as of 2015, employs about 80,000 workers, or .5% of total employment, down from a peak in 1981 of 135,000 workers.[3] The coal industry is South Africa's largest contribution to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.[4][3]
This article needs to be updated. (May 2020) |
Around 77% of South Africa's energy needs are directly derived from coal.[5] South Africa is the 5th largest exporter of coal in the world, with 30% consumed overseas.[3] 92% of coal consumed on the African continent is produced in South Africa.[6] 80% of South Africa's CO2 emissions come from the energy supply which is dependent on coal, which produced the vast majority of the country's energy, or 42GWs.[3] In negotiations leading up to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, South Africa and its partner countries reached a $8.5 billion Climate finance package to end its reliance on coal.[7][8] The use of coal in South Africa dates back to the Iron Age (300–1880 AD), when charcoal (note: not coal, but charred wood) was used to melt iron and copper, but large-scale exploitation of coal did not occur until the mid-19th century.[9]