Energy Shift
The Safest Source of Energy Will Surprise You
The World’s Safest Source of Energy Will Surprise You
When it comes to conversations on energy, it’s hard to leave your feelings at the door.
It’s arguable that energy is the single most important driver of human progress – it’s a multi-trillion dollar industry that powers our daily lives, technological advancements, and even the economic development of entire countries. At the same time, our choices around energy can have significant consequences. How we decide to generate energy can decimate the environment, fuel political conflicts, and even cause human deaths as unwelcome side effects.
The outcomes from our choices around energy are so vivid, that we’ve developed strong and polarized associations with the subject at hand.
The Empirical Perspective
Today’s visualization on the safest sources of energy comes to us from Cambridge House, the company hosting the International Mining Investment Conference 2018 on May 15-16 in Vancouver, BC, and it uses an empirical approach to compare different energy sources with one another.
Based on the data, this comparison provides a perspective that will be surprising to many viewers. Despite its perceived dangers, nuclear is actually the safest type of energy.
| Energy Source | Deaths per 1,000 TWh | % of Global Primary Energy Supply (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 100,000 | 28.1% |
| Oil | 36,000 | 31.7% |
| Natural Gas | 4,000 | 21.6% |
| Hydro | 1,400 | 2.5% |
| Solar | 440* | <1% |
| Wind | 150 | <1% |
| Nuclear | 90 | 4.9% |
That’s right – even when including seemingly catastrophic incidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima in the calculations, the math says that the amount of energy generated by nuclear is so vast that it more than outweighs these incidents over the long-term.
The reality is that nuclear energy is much more comparable to renewables like solar or wind, in terms of safety. More importantly, it’s on the polar opposite of the spectrum from coal, which manages to kill 4,400 people daily in China alone.
The Nuclear Option
Interestingly, multiple studies have come to this exact same conclusion, including the ones used in an analysis by economist Max Roser’s project called Our World in Data.
Even though the conclusion on nuclear is pretty cut and dry, it’s still hard to absorb. After all, the relative safety of nuclear ends up being extremely counter-intuitive to our human brains, which are seemingly wired to put more weight on big, memorable events (i.e. Chernobyl) rather than slow, consistent deaths that occur over time with other energy sources.
Today, nuclear provides about 11% of the world’s electricity from about 450 power reactors, generating about 2,500 TWh of electricity each year.
And while there are still questions that remain – specifically revolving around how to store certain types of nuclear waste – the above data explains why the majority of scientists classify nuclear as a sustainable and safe energy source, along with other renewables.
This post originally appeared on Visual Capitalist’s new VC Metals channel, home to data-driven visual content on metals, commodities, and energy.
Energy Shift
Visualized: Global Coal Consumption by Region
For this graphic, Visual Capitalist has partnered with Range ETFs to explore world coal consumption in 2023 and find out who consumed the most coal.
World Coal Consumption by Region in 2023
Despite many nations transitioning away from fossil fuels, in 2023, world coal consumption reached a staggering 164 exajoules (EJ) of energy, a record high for any year.
For this graphic, Visual Capitalist has partnered with Range ETFs to explore the role coal plays in the global energy mix and determine which regions still consume large quantities of coal.
The Role of Coal in Global Energy
Coal is a significant player in the global energy mix, contributing 26% of the world’s energy in 2023, more than all non-fossil fuel sources combined. The only energy source that contributed more to the global energy mix was oil.
Here’s how that consumption breaks down by region:
| Region | Consumption (EJ) | Share % |
|---|---|---|
| China | 91.9 | 56.1% |
| Asia Pacific (excluding China) | 43.8 | 26.7% |
| Americas | 10.0 | 6.1% |
| Europe | 8.4 | 5.1% |
| CIS* | 5.5 | 3.4% |
| Africa | 4.1 | 2.5% |
| Middle East | 0.4 | 0.2% |
| Total | 164.0 | 100% |
Coal consumption has decreased in many regions. For example, both North America and Europe reduced their energy consumption from coal by 16% in 2023. However, a heavy reliance on coal in the Asia Pacific region has led to global coal consumption remaining essentially the same over the past 10 years.
In 2023, China increased its coal consumption from 88 EJ to nearly 92 EJ—totalling 56% of global coal consumption. This contributed significantly to Asia Pacific leading the world with a staggering 83% of global coal consumption.
The Importance of Coal
Easy access to existing infrastructure and reasonable prices have not only sustained global coal consumption over the last 10 years, but also paved the way for potential growth. Many developing nations are now expanding their coal consumption, presenting potential opportunities in the coal market.
For example, as per the Statistical Review of World Energy 2024, between 2022 and 2023, Bangladesh and Colombia saw double-digit percentage increases in year-over-year coal consumption: 41% and 53%, respectively.
Coal continues to play a critical role in the global energy mix, especially in the developing world, where its affordability makes it the current energy source of choice.
Learn more about the Range Global Coal Index ETF (COAL)
Energy Shift
Top Countries by Fossil Fuel Consumption in 2023
China and the U.S. account for nearly half of fossil fuel use.
Top Countries by Fossil Fuel Consumption in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Fossil fuel consumption reached new record highs in 2023, driven by increased coal and oil use in China, despite the global boom in renewable energy.
Together, gas, oil, and coal accounted for 81.5% of the global energy mix last year, slightly down from 82% in 2022.
This graphic shows the top 12 countries by fossil fuel consumption in 2023. Data is from the Energy Institute, 2024 Statistical Review of World Energy, released in June 2024.
China and U.S. Account for Nearly Half of Global Fossil Fuel Use
China and the U.S. are responsible for almost half (47%) of global fossil fuel consumption.
| Country | Oil (Exajoules) | Natural Gas | Coal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 33 | 15 | 92 | 140 |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | 36 | 32 | 8 | 76 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 11 | 2 | 22 | 35 |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 7 | 16 | 4 | 27 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 4 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 7 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 🌍 Rest of the World | 72 | 50 | 24 | 146 |
In 2023, China consumed 140 exajoules of fossil fuels, equivalent to approximately 5.8 billion tonnes of hard coal. The U.S. followed with 76 exajoules, while India was third with 35 exajoules.
Crude oil consumption surpassed 100 million barrels per day for the first time, and coal demand exceeded the previous year’s record.
China remains the largest coal consumer, accounting for 56% of global consumption, a new record for the country. Additionally, in 2023, India’s coal consumption surpassed the combined total of Europe and North America for the first time.
If you like this graphic, be sure to check out ‘Visualizing Global Energy Production in 2023.’ This graphic illustrates the sources of energy used worldwide last year.
-
Electrification2 years agoThe Key Minerals in an EV Battery
-
Energy Shift2 years agoWhat Are the Five Major Types of Renewable Energy?
-
Electrification1 year agoThe Six Major Types of Lithium-ion Batteries: A Visual Comparison
-
Electrification3 years agoThe World’s Largest Nickel Mining Companies
-
Real Assets2 years agoWhich Countries Have the Lowest Inflation?
-
Energy Shift2 years agoThe Solar Power Duck Curve Explained
-
Misc2 years agoHow Is Aluminum Made?
-
Electrification3 years agoBreaking Down the Cost of an EV Battery Cell