La consommation de charbon s’élève à 9,2 Mtep en 2015, en baisse de 11 % par rapport à 2011 et représente 3,7 % de la consommation d’énergie primaire de la France. La filière fonte (cokeries et hauts-fourneaux) et la production d’électricité et de chaleur sont les deux principaux secteurs consommateurs. Totalement importé depuis l’arrêt de la production en France fin 2014, le charbon pèse 1,3 Md€ dans le déficit extérieur en 2015. Cette facture a toutefois été presque divisée par deux depuis 2011. Cette diminution s’explique, au-delà de la baisse de la consommation, par la chute des prix du charbon sur le marché international, liée elle-même au ralentissement de la croissance chinoise et à la concurrence accrue du gaz. La dépense totale en charbon, qui, outre la valeur des importations, inclut certaines marges de transformation et d’intermédiation, s’élève à 1,7 Md€ en 2015. Les hauts-fourneaux, qui consomment majoritairement du coke, en concentrent à eux seuls 60 %.
Coal : Physical And Monetary Balance, 2011-2015
Coal consumption stood at 9.2 Mtoe in 2015 (down 11% from 2011), and represents 3.7% of France’s primary energy consumption. The steel industry (coking plants and blast furnaces) and electricity and heat production are the two main consuming sectors. Exclusively obtained via imports following the end of production in France at the end of 2014, coal represents €1.3bn in the external deficit in 2015. However, this amount has been halved since 2011. Beyond a lower consumption, this reduction may be explained by the fall in coal prices in the international market, which is itself linked to a slowdown in Chinese growth and increased competition with demand of gas. Total spending on coal, which, in addition to import values, includes certain processing and intermediation margins, amounted €1.7bn in 2015. Blast furnaces, which mostly consume coke, account alone for 60% of this total expenditure.
Coal consumption stood at 9.2 Mtoe in 2015 (down 11% from 2011), and represents 3.7% of France’s primary energy consumption. The steel industry (coking plants and blast furnaces) and electricity and heat production are the two main consuming sectors. Exclusively obtained via imports following the end of production in France at the end of 2014, coal represents €1.3bn in the external deficit in 2015. However, this amount has been halved since 2011. Beyond a lower consumption, this reduction may be explained by the fall in coal prices in the international market, which is itself linked to a slowdown in Chinese growth and increased competition with demand of gas. Total spending on coal, which, in addition to import values, includes certain processing and intermediation margins, amounted €1.7bn in 2015. Blast furnaces, which mostly consume coke, account alone for 60% of this total expenditure.