STATISTICS 2016

2.21 Coal consumption by final consumers accounted for 6.9 per cent (2.6 million tonnes) of
total demand in 2015, a decrease of 13 per cent from 2014. Final consumption mainly covers
steam raising, space or hot water heating, or heat for processing. Steam coal accounted for 78 per
cent of this final consumption (down 14 per cent from 2014).
2.22 The industrial sector is the largest final consumer (accounting for 78 per cent of total final
consumption in 2015). Eighty one per cent of the coal used in the industrial sector was steam coal,
with manufacturers of mineral products (e.g. cement, glass and brick) being the largest users.
2.23 The domestic sector accounted for 21 per cent of the final consumption of coal, with 64 per
cent of this demand being for steam coal and the remainder for anthracite. Domestic consumption
rose by 1.0 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014.
2.24 In 2014, the UK was the third largest consumer of coal among the EU countries,
accounting for 16 per cent (48 million tonnes) of total coal consumption in the EU (292 million tonnes).
The top consumer was Poland accounting for 25 per cent (74 million tonnes) of total EU consumption,
while Germany was second accounting for 21 per cent (62 million tonnes) 1 .
Coal Stocks
2.25 Following a stock rise of 35 per cent in 2014 to 19.3 million tonnes, stocks fell by 5.2 million
tonnes in 2015 (Chart 2.3). Undistributed stocks (stocks held at collieries and surface mine sites) of
0.5 million tonnes at the end of 2015 were 0.2 million tonnes lower than a year earlier. Stocks at major
power stations and coke ovens, as a whole, decreased by 4.7 million tonnes and accounted for 94 per
cent of total stocks in 2015. The fall was mainly due to generators using more coal stocks for
electricity generation.
Chart 2.3: Coal stocks in the UK 2000 to 2015
30
25
Million tonnes
20
15
10
5
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
End December
Total Distributed Undistributed
48