# Thermal coal

The cheapest, most carbon-heavy bulk fuel for power: still the largest single source of electricity, driven by Chinese and Indian demand.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/thermal_coal/

Natural sources · Fossil stores · No. 11

- Not on a critical list
- HHI 2,980 · highly concentrated
 Natural sources · Fossil stores · Foundation · Energy

The world mined a record 9.2 billion tonnes of coal in 2024, and China dug up more than half of it.

Chart: Illustration: Thermal coal

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Coal is fossil plant matter squeezed and heated over millions of years. Thick shallow seams in Australia, Indonesia and the US are strip-mined; China and India add deep longwall mines.

##### Three things to know

1. China's reserves would last only 37 years at its own pace of mining, while US reserves exceed 500 years.
2. A kilogram of good bituminous coal holds about 26 MJ, more than twice the energy of a kilogram of lignite.
3. Only 2% of the world's coal crossed the sea in 1960; by 2013 the seaborne share had reached 17%.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Coal seam**Bituminous, sub-bituminous or lignite
2. 2 **Mining**Open-cut strip mines or underground longwalls
3. 3 **Preparation**Crushed, washed and blended for heat
4. 4 **Rail and ship**Bulk carriers to ports and plants
5. 5 **Power station**Pulverised and burned to raise steam
 Covered in [Energy, power and the units that measure themEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/energy-power-units/)[The fossil-fuel revolutionEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/fossil-fuel-revolution/)[Oil, gas and coal: how they form, are found, moved and pricedEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/oil-gas-coal/)[Making electricity: thermal, nuclear, hydro, wind and solarEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/making-electricity/)[Moving energy: wires, pipes and shipsEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/moving-energy/)

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## Other sections

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