# Coking coal: Impact on nature

Gassy seams and furnaces that breathe out CO2

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/nature/

What this tab covers What taking energy from this source does to land, water, air and climate, wildlife and ecosystems, with life-cycle emissions and land use where measured.

The impacts are those of coal mining, especially methane from deep, gassy seams, plus the very high CO2 output of blast-furnace steelmaking.
 Life-cycle emissions about 341 (coking coal) and 385 (coke) g CO2/kWh of fuel heat^[1](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/pdf/2_Volume2/V2_1_Ch1_Introduction.pdf) Combustion CO2 only, converted from IPCC default emission factors (94.6 and 107 t CO2/TJ). Not a life-cycle electricity figure, because coking coal is used to make steel, not power.

#### Effects on nature

| Area | Effect | Size | How it is reduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Climate (combustion and reduction)** | Carbon in coke leaves the blast furnace as CO2. The blast-furnace route is by far the most carbon-intensive way to make steel.^[1](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/pdf/2_Volume2/V2_1_Ch1_Introduction.pdf) | 94.6 t CO2/TJ for coking coal, 107 t CO2/TJ for coke | Scrap-based electric arc furnaces, hydrogen direct reduction, CCS on blast furnaces |
| **Climate (mine methane)** | Coking coal is often mined underground from gassy seams, so mine methane is a large part of its footprint.^[9](https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2025/understanding-methane-emissions) | Coal mining overall emitted more than 40 Mt CH4 in 2024 | Pre-drainage and use of seam gas, oxidising ventilation air |
| **Steel dependence** | Most of the world's steel still relies on coal, which locks in emissions.^[10](https://www.teck.com/media/Understanding-Global-Demand-for-Steelmaking-Coal.pdf) | About 70% (worldsteel) to 72% (Teck) of global steel relies directly on coal | Recycling scrap in electric arc furnaces |
| **Substitution already achieved** | Where scrap is plentiful, coal has largely left steelmaking.^[11](https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/fact-sheet-met-coal.pdf) | Almost 70% of US steel and 44% of EU steel is made without coal | Scrap collection, electric arc furnaces, low-carbon electricity |
| **Land** | New mines and expansions take large land areas, often forest or upland.^[2](https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R48635.html) | One US expansion application (Warrior Met, Alabama) covers 14,040 acres for 57,500 thousand short tons | Reclamation bonds, progressive rehabilitation |
| **Water and waste** | Coal washing and tailings can leach nutrients and metals into rivers and groundwater.^[12](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4020227) | Coal-mine tailings release 600 to 800 g phosphorus-equivalent per MWh of coal power (same mining phase) | Lined tailings facilities, water treatment |

Coking coal's footprint is usually counted against steel rather than energy. The reduction step itself releases CO2, so efficiency gains alone cannot remove it. Deep removal needs a different chemistry, either recycled scrap or iron reduced with hydrogen or natural gas instead of carbon.

Methane matters more for coking coal than for many steam-coal mines because the seams are often deep and gassy: IEEFA notes that metallurgical coal mines are some of Australia's most significant methane emitters. Because coking coal is harder to replace than steam coal, mine-methane capture is one of the few near-term levers.

#### Sources

1. [2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Vol. 2 Energy, Ch. 1 Introduction (Tables 1.2 and 1.4)](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/pdf/2_Volume2/V2_1_Ch1_Introduction.pdf) IPCC, 2006
2. [Metallurgical Coal: Frequently Asked Questions (R48635)](https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R48635.html) US Congressional Research Service (via EveryCRSReport), 2025
3. [Global Methane Tracker 2025: Understanding methane emissions](https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2025/understanding-methane-emissions) IEA, 2025
4. [Understanding global demand for steelmaking coal](https://www.teck.com/media/Understanding-Global-Demand-for-Steelmaking-Coal.pdf) Teck Resources, 2023
5. [Fact sheet: Metallurgical coal](https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/fact-sheet-met-coal.pdf) IEEFA, 2024
6. [Carbon Neutrality in the UNECE Region: Integrated Life-cycle Assessment of Electricity Sources (ECE/ENERGY/141)](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4020227) UNECE, 2022

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/index.md)
- [Energy overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/energy/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/correlation/index.md)
- [How energy resides](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/resides/index.md)
- [Abundance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/abundance/index.md)
- [Fluctuation in time](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/time/index.md)
- [Across the Earth](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/geography/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/overview/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/coking_coal/links/index.md)