Global Energy Sources and Production Grow in 2011

The Global coal production grew in 2011, and the global natural gas consumption increased by over 2%, but nuclear electricity production dropped by more than 4% due to a 9.2% decrease in OECD countries 25 July 2012 . Total global coal production increased by 6.6% in 2011 – the twelfth consecutive year of growth – according to the latest official data from the International Energy Agency (IEA). While coal production only increased by 0.8% in OECD member countries, non-OECD production climbed by 9% with China taking over from Japan as the world’s largest importer, and Indonesia becoming the world’s largest exporter, surpassing Australia. These statistics are drawn from Coal Information 2012, one of a series of annual IEA statistical publications on major energy sources. These annual IEA statistics books, which also include Oil Information 2012, Natural Gas Information 2012, Electricity Information 2012 and Renewables Information 2012, are being released throughout the summer. Global oil demand rose by around 1% in 2011. However demand from OECD countries was down by 0.8% in 2011, as a result of low economic growth. Motor gasoline consumption – accounting for about one third of oil demand in the OECD – dropped by more than 2%, continuing a downward trend which began back in 2006. Global natural gas consumption increased by 2.1% in 2011, a much smaller increase than the sizeable 7.2% leap seen in 2010. With consumption in OECD countries remaining flat, the growth came from non-OECD countries, which account for slightly more than half of gas consumption in the world. Electricity production in OECD countries dipped by 0.9% in 2011; due in large part to the consequences of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. In Japan, nuclear electricity production decreased by 65%, while in Germany production dropped by 23%. Looking at renewable sources, their share in the total primary energy supply increased to 8.2% in OECD countries in 2011, compared to 7.8% in 2010. Wind power was not only the leading renewable energy source for electricity, but it also had the largest increase out of all renewable sources, growing by 24% in the OECD.