Published: 27 April 2010 A total of 2.3 million tonnes (57,000
TJ) of hard coal were consumed as fuel in the generation of
electricity and heat in the January to March period of 2010. The
consumption increased by 31 per cent from the previous year. Use
of hard coal went up especially in separate production of
electricity. The growth in the consumption was due to diminished
production of hydro power from the year before. Consumption of
Hard Coal, million tonnes In the first quarter of the year, the
consumption of hard coal was a third up on the average for the
2000s. The consumption of hard coal was last this high in 2004.
The consumption of electricity increased by 7 per cent from the
previous year. The consumption of electricity in industry, which
was brought down by the economic downturn, began to rise again
in the latter half of 2009 and the growth continued through the
January-March period. The weather was also colder than in the
year before, and this put electricity consumption up. At the
same time the w