In a world of accelerated advancement and dynamic development, there is no escaping energy consumption. We need energy to work and to live. In 2022, the demand for the already-hot commodity peaked at 604 exajoules – that is 604 with 18 zeros behind it, or about 3,000 times the energy needed to power Singapore for a whole year.
Asia, in particular, is set to become the world’s leading consumer of energy in the next few years to fuel its numerous growing economies: the region is expected to account for half of the world’s energy usage by 2050. About one-third of the region’s energy mix comes from coal, which is a cheap and reliable source of energy.