自上一版《歐洲煤炭工業(yè)》以來，能源領(lǐng)域發(fā)生了很大變化。高能源價格導致了今天仍在上演的全球金融危機。中東局勢的不穩(wěn)定威脅到石油供應，給接近歷史高點的原油價格帶來進一步的上漲壓力。在這些變化中，煤炭仍然是一種有競爭力的能源。它已成為發(fā)展中經(jīng)濟體發(fā)電的首選燃料，在消費量已超過33億噸或幾乎占全球需求一半的中國更是如此。隨著中國、印度等快速增長的經(jīng)濟體開始越來越依賴國際煤炭市場來滿足其需求，煤炭供應的動態(tài)發(fā)生了變化。歐洲的煤炭價格現(xiàn)在緊跟秦皇島港的價格，因此了解中國市場對進口商和貿(mào)易商至關(guān)重要。歐洲的煤炭和褐煤生產(chǎn)商享受到了更高的價格，但有時卻以降低產(chǎn)量為代價，尤其是在限制碳排放的政策開始吃緊之際。展望未來，在日本福島第一核電站發(fā)生可怕災難后，核復興的可能性似乎較小。這意味著包括煤炭在內(nèi)的替代品需求更大。將歐盟雄心勃勃的能源和環(huán)境政策與這些新現(xiàn)實結(jié)合起來并非易事，但我們可以肯定，在許多歐盟成員國，煤炭仍將是電力供應的支柱。

Since our last edition of "Coal industry across Europe", much has changed in the energy world. High energy prices contributed to a global financial crisis that is still playing out today. Instability in the Middle East threatens oil supply, putting further upward pressure on crude oil prices which sit near historic highs. Throughout these changes, coal has remained a competitive source of energy. It has become the fuel of choice for power generation in developing economies, nowhere more so than in China where consumption has grown to over 3.3 billion tonnes or almost half of global demand. As China, India and other fast-growing economies begin to rely more and more on the international coal market to meet their needs, the dynamics of coal supply have changed. Coal prices in Europe now follow those at Qinhuangdao port, so an understanding of the Chinese market is vital to importers and traders. European coal and lignite producers have enjoyed higher prices, but sometimes at the expense of lower volumes, especially as policies to limit carbon emissions begin to bite. Looking to the future, following the terrible disaster at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, a nuclear renaissance looks less likely. This means stronger demand for alternatives, including coal. Marrying the EU’s ambitious energy and environmental policies with these new realities will not be easy, but we can be sure that coal will remain the backbone of electricity supply in many EU Member States.