coal (electricity generation)
solid coalDESNZ 2025 'Coal (electricity generation)' — the grade burned in UK power stations. It has both the lowest calorific value (23.826 GJ/tonne) and the lowest CO2e per tonne (2225.22448) of DESNZ's four coal rows, so using it for a household or industrial figure understates both. No density is recorded (coal is sold by mass).
- Coal energy and emission factors vary widely by rank, region and moisture/ash content. This entry is DESNZ 'Coal (electricity generation)' (UK context). No density is available (coal is sold by mass), so volume conversions are not available.
Easily confused with
Different products with different numbers. Check you are on the right one.
- hard coal 2.39528994 kgCO2e/kg
- coal (domestic) 2.90495234 kgCO2e/kg
- coking coal 3.16465002 kgCO2e/kg
Density
Not available.
Heating values
LHV/NCV
HHV/GCV
Emission factors
| Metric | Value | Scope | Region / year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂e | 2.22522448 kgCO2e/kg | direct combustion | UK · 2025 |
CO₂ ≠ CO₂e — separate metrics, never converted into one another. What these metrics mean →
Worked example
Open in converter →Converting
1 kg · coal (electricity generation)
Conversion results
Energy
Same energy expressed in other units.
23.83 MJ
6.618 kWh
0.02383 GJ
22,580 BTU
25.08 MJ
6.967 kWh
0.02508 GJ
23,770 BTU
Mass
Emissions
CO₂ and CO₂e are separate — never derived from each other.
~2.23 kg CO2e
Energy density
Energy per unit of mass or volume.
23.83 MJ/kg
Assumptions
- heating value basis: energy on LHV/NCV basis, 23.826 MJ/kg
- heating value basis: energy on HHV/GCV basis, 25.08 MJ/kg
Sources
Follow each source back to its primary document — that traceability is the point. How conversions work →