Once Responsible for Heating Ordinary People, 'Seoktan'... Why It Is Being Phased Out from Homes

Sharp Decline in Coal Share for Household Fuel in Advanced Countries Including UK
Causes Include Carbon Reduction Regulations and Rise in Electric and Gas Heating
Coal Prices Surge Due to Shortages After COVID-19
Will 'Talseoktan' Accelerate in Developing Countries' Households?

Coal briquettes piled up in front of a briquette store in Seoul in 2011. Just over 10 years ago, many households in Korea used briquette boilers for heating. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The era of coal, which has been responsible for heating the homes of ordinary people for centuries, is coming to an end. This is due to carbon regulations aimed at preventing the climate crisis and coal shortages, leading to a decrease in households using coal.

Recently, the British weekly magazine The Economist published an article titled "Coal is being phased out in British homes," focusing on the "end of coal."

According to the publication, the UK government plans to gradually reduce the sale of household coal starting from May next year. From May 2023, all types of household coal distribution will be completely banned.

An article by The Economist addressing the decline in the use of coal heating in British households. / Photo by The Economist website capture

The UK was once known as the "Coal Kingdom" due to the widespread use of coal. Coal was burned not only in thermal power plants but also in homes for heating. According to The Economist, in the mid-20th century, vehicles loaded with coal were delivered to cities and towns every autumn, and carrying coal in sacks into homes was considered a kind of "winter eve festival."

The reason the UK has become a leader in "decoalization" is thanks to decades of energy transition policies. Since the early 2000s, the UK government has focused on shifting its coal- and oil-based economy to renewable energy and natural gas. According to government announcements, from 2010 to 2019, the UK's carbon emissions from coal-fired power generation decreased by a staggering 80% over ten years.

◆Coal shortages in developing countries... Will household fuel 'decoalization' accelerate?

This energy transition is not happening only in the UK. In Korea as well, household fuels have changed significantly over the past decades. According to a report by the Korea Energy Economics Institute, in the 1990s, coal and oil accounted for 83.4% of household energy demand, but by 2015, city gas and electric heating accounted for 73.2%, effectively completing the transition.

Coal-fired power plant in China / Photo by Yonhap News

The recent "coal shortage" occurring in many countries may accelerate their decarbonization policies. The price of Newcastle thermal coal from Australia, used as an international benchmark, reached $202 per ton (about 240,000 KRW) last month, nearly tripling compared to the end of 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak.

This price surge has caused significant damage to developing countries with high coal dependence, such as China and India. These countries rely heavily on coal for both industrial and household power generation. Additionally, coal is essential not only as fuel but also as a means to extract ammonia, which is crucial for synthesizing "urea," a raw material for urea water and fertilizers. Due to its diverse uses, to ensure smooth industrial development and raw material supply, it is necessary to reduce coal demand for household consumption.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.