Modern Mining March 2025

Investments in renewable energy are crucial for long-term sustainability.

Reliable and affordable energy resources are critical in parts of the world where millions of people still need to be lifted out of poverty. Because of the significant growth seen in emerging Asian economies, coal demand is likely to exceed the 8 billion tons mark once again this year. Meanwhile, the World Bank predicts that although coal prices will fall between now and 2026, they will remain higher than pre-pandemic times. Coal will continue to form a crucial part of the global energy mix as emerging nations further industrialise their economies. Countries will still face mounting pressure and unrealistic expectations to transition away from coal at warp speed. Still, the shift will remain slow due to infrastructure constraints, energy security concerns, and economic considerations. The IEA also forecasts that global electricity demand will grow at a faster pace in the coming three years due to an improved economic outlook for both developed and emerging economies. With such growth expected, countries will need reliable and affordable resources to generate enough baseload power. The transport and residential sectors and data centres for technologies like AI will be among the key drivers for increasing electricity

Coal will continue to form a crucial part of the global energy mix.

Countries like China, India and Indonesia account for a large portion of global coal consumption.

that are efficient enough to produce reliable baseload. As global demand for electricity rises, demand for coal is unlikely to drop significantly. While investments in renewable energy are crucial for long-term sustainability, coal will continue to play a critical role in meeting the growing power needs of emerging economies in future. n

demand. Electricity consumption by data centres alone could reach over 1,000 TWh by 2026. AI is so energy-intensive that some experts have warned that it could lead the world into a more profound power crisis. As dystopic as it may sound, unfortunately, this might very well be the case without resources like coal

MARCH 2025 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za  MODERN MINING  11