Coal energy in Europe - statistics & facts

Coal has been one of the most widely utilized energy sources in Europe for the past century. However, in light of growing climate change awareness, most European countries have included an exit from coal use in their since established net-zero ambitions. Decommissioning was already well underway when the Russia-Ukraine war squeezed natural gas supplies to a degree that many governments began contemplating a coal return for the immediate future. Germany, which has the greatest coal power capacity in Europe recently became the first country to re-open a previously mothballed coal power plant.

Domestic coal production and supply

Thanks to large reserves across Europe, coal was for years one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation where geography did not allow for the construction of hydroelectric dams. Lignite or soft brown coal is the most ubiquitous coal type in Europe. Before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 300 megatons of lignite were produced in the European Union every year, although production had already been on a downward trend for over a decade. In 2020, annual production has sat at around 240 megatons. There are only four countries in Europe that also mined hard coal, which has a higher carbon content and correspondingly a greater fuel value. Among these countries, Poland was the largest producer of hard coal and also ranked second in terms of overall coal production in Europe. In addition to domestic output, coal imports play an important role in meeting consumer demand. EU member states bought around 150 megatons annually for most of the past decade.

Coal dependence and the largest power plants

Poland and Germany are among the European countries producing the most coal power. In Poland, the coal power generation share stands at a sizable 70 percent, compared with a little under 30 percent for Germany. Poland is also home to the largest coal power plant in the European Union, which is the region’s biggest polluter. The Bełchatów lignite-fired power plant has a capacity of more than four gigawatts and is operated by PGE. The utility has a combined coal power capacity of roughly 13 gigawatts, which puts it ahead of competitors such as Germany’s RWE and Italy’s Enel.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Feb 28, 2024

Key insights

Coal power capacity in Europe
212.75 GW
Coal power generation in Europe
667 TWh
Germany's global ranking by coal power capacity
9th
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