Why Canada isn’t Going to Abandon Coal
Canada is phasing out coal-fired electricity, but metallurgical coal presents a different economic and industrial challenge. Thermal coal is burned to generate power while metallurgical coal is used to produce coke, a key ingredient in the manufacture of steel. This distinction is central to the Canadian coal industry's argument that the government should include coking coal on the list of critical minerals. Steel remains essential to construction, transportation, pipelines and industrial infrastructure. It is also needed to manufacture transmission towers, wind turbines, and other technologies supporting the energy transition. Although alternative methods for steelmaking are developing, blast furnaces continue to…