Many of the world's largest economies, including the US and China, have based their prosperity on the availability of electricity from coal. However coal is also an extremely dirty fuel and its combustion is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide, responsible for global warming. The future of coal burning for power generation depends on adapting to new environmental restrictions.
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Coal accounts for over 40% of total global electrical generation - more than 1,700TWh in 2010 - and the installed generating capacity in 2010 was around 1,500GW out of a world total of 4,500GW.
Total global proven reserves at the end of 2010 were 860,938 mtonnes. Total coal production in 2009 was an estimated 6,903 mtonnes of which 5,990 mtonnes were hard coal and 913 mtonnes were lignite. This compares with production in 2008 of 6,759 mtonnes. Total hard coal production in 1990 was 3,497 mtonnes.
Japan is the most important coal importer, consuming 165 mtonnes of imports in 2009. China is now the second largest importer with 137 mtonnes in 2009, followed by South Korea with 103 mtonnes, India with 67 mtonnes, Taiwan with 60 mtonnes, Germany with 38 mtonnes and the UK with 38 mtonnes.
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