Austria and coal

Austria has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and, under the EU Burden Sharing Agreement among EU member countries, it is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 13% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. In 2002, just over 20% of the Co2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels originated from coal. In the same year, coal accounted for just over 12% of the carbon emissions emissions from the power generation sector. The International Energy Agency noted in its 2004 review of energy policy in Austria that "the government expects coal use to decline by 2010 and more so by 2020, largely driven by climate change concerns."

In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey projected that only 5,000 tonnes of coal would be domestically produced in Austria. EuraCoal estimates that in the first half of 2007, approximately 1.7 million tonnes of coal were imported into Austria. This would suggest the annual amount of coal imported into the country to be in the order of 3.5 million tonnes.

Proposed Coal-Fired Power Stations

 * Enns Power Station has been mooted by Energie AG at Enns, a town on the Danube River. The proposed project would have an installed capacity of up to 800 megawatts. In April 2008 Power in Europe, an energy trade newsletter, reported that the project on the Danube at Enns would involve coal being brought to the station by barge. The newsletter notes that Enns "also has a tie to the high pressure east-west WAG gasline."

Europe and coal

 * Belgium and coal
 * Bulgaria and coal
 * France and coal
 * Germany and coal
 * Greece and coal
 * Hungary and coal
 * Italy and coal
 * Netherlands and coal
 * Norway and coal
 * Poland and coal
 * Slovakia and coal
 * United Kingdom and coal

Background information

 * International Energy Agency, "Coal in Austria in 2005", International Energy Agency website, accessed July 2008.
 * U.S. Geological Survey, "Austria" 1994-2006
 * European Environment Agency, European Pollutant Emission Register. (This has a list of power stations and their current emissions).