Fote experts will profile the world's three biggest coal producing countries based on annual coal production.
China comes first. It has been by far the biggest coal producing country over the last three decades. The country is also a giant consumer of coal accounting for more than half of the world's total coal consumption in 2012, importing 289 million tons (Mt) of coal also making it the world's biggest coal importer. China possesses the world's third biggest coal reserves and about half of China's coal is used for power generation, which accounts for over 80% of the country's electricity output.
The United States, the world's second biggest coal producing country, produced 922Mt of coal in 2012 accounting for more than 13% of the world's coal production. The US is also the world's second biggest coal consumer, the nation consumed 11% of world's total coal in 2012 and approximately 37% of the country's electricity generation fuelled by coal that year. The US also holds the world's biggest coal reserves estimated at over 237Bt as of December 2012.
India is regarded as the third biggest coal producer in the world. India was also the third biggest coal consumer accounting for eight percent of the world's coal consumption in the same year. India imported 160Mt of coal in 2012 becoming the third biggest coal importer after China and Japan. Coal accounts for about 68% of India's electricity generation. India's proven coal reserves, estimated at 60.6Bt as of 2013, are the third biggest in the world.
