Despite the commitment of Western nations to a net-zero production goal, China and other coal-dependent developing countries appear to have taken a detour.
The phased reduction in the use of ‘dirty fuel’ in the coming years under the COP26 agreement is undergoing revision as economic realities are forcing western countries to rethink decarbonization timelines.
European companies are mulling over a switch to coal as an alternative to Russian gas. In contrast, China’s coal production and consumption continue to hover around its record high of 4.07billion tons per annum. The return to coal is becoming a trend for countries to bridge their energy shortages.
Nigeria is said to hold over 2.8billion metric tonnes of unproven coal reserves and 639million metric tonnes of proven reserves with significant deposits in Enugu, Nasarawa, Gombe, and Kogi states.
Analysts questioned Nigeria’s lack of coal production despite its large reserves and the scale of energy shortages for power generation, railway corporations, and cement factories, among others.
Coal production in Nigeria reached its all-time high of about 900,000 tonnes before independence. It significantly declined until no production was recorded, attributable to poor government interest, weak infrastructure, and technical failure. Proshare Analysts believe the large coal deposits across the country should be harnessed to bridge the energy gaps of the country in the short to medium term.
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