Coal surge in Asia amid US‑Israel‑Iran war
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- South Korea delayed the shutdown of coal‑fired power plants and lifted caps on electricity generated from coal.
- Thailand increased output at its largest coal‑fired plant to offset energy shortfalls.
- Philippines declared a national energy emergency and plans to boost operations of its coal‑fired power plants.
- India ordered coal plants to run at maximum capacity, avoid planned outages, and accelerated clearances for wind power and battery storage projects.
- Bangladesh raised coal‑fired power generation and imported more coal in March to compensate for LNG shortages.
- LNG supply in the Indo‑Pacific fell sharply, with about 30 bn cubic meters removed from global chains and over 80 % of that loss affecting the region after the Hormuz strait closure and a Qatar export facility strike.
- Climate experts such as Pauline Heinrichs and Dinita Setyawati warned that the coal resurgence worsens climate and health outcomes and urged homegrown renewable energy as a longer‑term energy‑security solution.
Why it matters: Governments secure power for industry and households by reviving coal, but the surge raises emissions and health risks, undermining climate goals. Meanwhile, renewable developers gain policy support as countries like India fast‑track wind and battery projects, offering a longer‑term path to energy security.
