Coal mining in Australia
Coal is mined in Australia primarily in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Coal is used to generate electricity and most of the coal mined in Australia is exported, mostly to eastern Asia. In fiscal year 2013/14, 430.9 million tonnes of coal was mined, of which 375.1 million tonnes was exported. Coal provides fuel for about 69% of electricity production in Australia. In fiscal year 2008/09, 487 million tonnes of coal was mined, and 261 million tonnes was exported. In 2013, Australia was the world's fifth-largest coal producer, after China, the United States, India, and Indonesia. However, in terms of proportion of production exported, Australia was the world's second largest coal exporter, with exports accounting for roughly 73% of coal production. Indonesia exports about 87% of its coal production.
Coal mining in Australia has been criticized by members of the environmental movement, due to carbon dioxide emissions during combustion. This criticism is primarily directed at thermal coal, for its connection to coal-fired power stations as a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, and the link to climate change and the effects of global warming on Australia. The burning of coal for electricity produces 29% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions, based on 2013-2014 Clean Energy Regulator data.
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which followed the draft report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review, has placed a price on carbon emissions through a reducing cap and trade emissions trading scheme and this would be likely to impact most heavily on brown coal usage within Australia (particularly in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria) for power generation.
...
Wikipedia