There's always differing opinions in the press.
Why World Coal Consumption Keeps Rising
Coal will overtake oil as the world’s largest energy source in 2013, according to Wood Mackenzie, a research and consulting firm.
CHART: China is burning coal at an insane rate
China's coal imports may reach 400 million – 500 million tonnes within three years.
India gives short- and long-term support for coal: Clyde Russell
“There’s a serious, serious supply shortage in South Africa to supply Eskom,” says Hall, who was addressing the IHS McCloskey coal export conference in Cape Town.
From 2013 to 2019, 120-million tons of new capacity need to come on stream.
Last year coal was the biggest commodity producer in South Africa by value and the resources and reserves study of the Council of Geosciences is expected to show that South Africa still has more than 60-billion tons of recoverable coal.
Seaborne trade patterns are expected to change between now and 2035 with India becoming the single-biggest seaborne coal importer in the medium term, which South Africa is well positioned to exploit.