‘India will drive demand for coal through 2026’

India will be the main engine of global coal demand growth through 2026 as the country scrambles to add thermal generation capacity to power up its expanding economy, the International Energy Agency said on Friday, days after the CO climate declaration called for driving out all fossil fuels. The IEA coal market report and forecast 2023 projected India’s coal demand rising 3.5% annually to 1,397 million tonnes (mt) in spite of an expected trebling of solar power capacity by 2026, compared to 2021, and a target of raising the share of green power to 50% by 2030.