France Coal Power: Generation, Share and Trend
France generated 1.75 TWh of electricity from coal in 2025, 0.3% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 54th largest coal power producer in 2025 of the 85 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Coal supplied 33.1% of the world's electricity in 2025. These are annual statistics for 2025, with monthly figures through August 2026; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- France generated 1.75 TWh of electricity from coal in 2025.
- Coal supplied 0.3% of France's electricity in 2025.
- France was the 54th largest coal power producer in 2025 among the 85 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- France's coal generation in 2025 was 43% lower than in 2020, when it was 3.09 TWh.
- France's coal generation in 2025 was 85% lower than in 2015, when it was 11.9 TWh.
- France's coal generation peaked at 39.6 TWh in 1991.
- France's coal share in 2025 was below the world share of 33.1%.
- France had 1.91 GW of coal generating capacity in 2025.
- Coal power in France emitted 1.68 MtCO2 in 2025, 7% of the power sector's emissions.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Coal generation | 1.75 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of France's electricity | 0.3% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of coal | 33.1% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by coal generation (each country's latest year) | 54 of 85 | 2025 · Ember |
| Coal capacity | 1.91 GW | 2025 · Ember |
| Coal power emissions | 1.68 MtCO2 | 2025 · Ember |
Coal Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 1990 to 2025Annual statistics through 2025, TWh
| Year | Coal |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 31.5 TWh |
| 1991 | 39.6 TWh |
| 1992 | 34.2 TWh |
| 1993 | 21.0 TWh |
| 1994 | 20.9 TWh |
| 1995 | 24.2 TWh |
| 1996 | 28.0 TWh |
| 1997 | 22.2 TWh |
| 1998 | 33.5 TWh |
| 1999 | 29.3 TWh |
| 2000 | 27.0 TWh |
| 2001 | 20.5 TWh |
| 2002 | 23.7 TWh |
| 2003 | 26.3 TWh |
| 2004 | 24.4 TWh |
| 2005 | 27.5 TWh |
| 2006 | 22.9 TWh |
| 2007 | 24.5 TWh |
| 2008 | 23.1 TWh |
| 2009 | 21.7 TWh |
| 2010 | 23.4 TWh |
| 2011 | 17.4 TWh |
| 2012 | 21.5 TWh |
| 2013 | 23.8 TWh |
| 2014 | 11.3 TWh |
| 2015 | 11.9 TWh |
| 2016 | 10.2 TWh |
| 2017 | 12.8 TWh |
| 2018 | 8.31 TWh |
| 2019 | 3.64 TWh |
| 2020 | 3.09 TWh |
| 2021 | 5.44 TWh |
| 2022 | 4.16 TWh |
| 2023 | 1.61 TWh |
| 2024 | 1.02 TWh |
| 2025 | 1.75 TWh |
Annual statistics through 2025, % of generation
| Year | France | World |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.6% | n/a |
| 1991 | 8.8% | n/a |
| 1992 | 7.5% | n/a |
| 1993 | 4.5% | n/a |
| 1994 | 4.4% | n/a |
| 1995 | 4.9% | n/a |
| 1996 | 5.5% | n/a |
| 1997 | 4.4% | n/a |
| 1998 | 6.6% | n/a |
| 1999 | 5.6% | n/a |
| 2000 | 5.1% | 38.0% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | 38.0% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | 38.3% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | 39.5% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | 39.0% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | 39.5% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | 40.2% |
| 2007 | 4.4% | 40.8% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | 40.2% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | 39.9% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | 39.8% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | 40.6% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | 39.9% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | 40.8% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | 40.5% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | 38.7% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | 37.8% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | 38.0% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | 38.0% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | 36.7% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 35.4% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | 36.0% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 35.6% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | 35.2% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | 34.2% |
| 2025 | 0.3% | 33.1% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity | Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.75 TWh | 0.3% | 33.1% | 1.91 GW | 1.68 MtCO2 |
| 2024 | 1.02 TWh | 0.2% | 34.2% | 1.91 GW | 0.98 MtCO2 |
| 2023 | 1.61 TWh | 0.3% | 35.2% | 2.03 GW | 1.55 MtCO2 |
| 2022 | 4.16 TWh | 0.9% | 35.6% | 2.14 GW | 4.01 MtCO2 |
| 2021 | 5.44 TWh | 1.0% | 36.0% | 2.14 GW | 5.25 MtCO2 |
| 2020 | 3.09 TWh | 0.6% | 35.4% | 3.37 GW | 2.98 MtCO2 |
| 2019 | 3.64 TWh | 0.6% | 36.7% | 3.37 GW | 3.52 MtCO2 |
| 2018 | 8.31 TWh | 1.4% | 38.0% | 3.37 GW | 8.02 MtCO2 |
| 2017 | 12.8 TWh | 2.3% | 38.0% | 3.37 GW | 12.4 MtCO2 |
| 2016 | 10.2 TWh | 1.8% | 37.8% | 3.37 GW | 9.88 MtCO2 |
Full year by year history for France
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.
Coal Generation Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through August 2026Monthly statistics through August 2026, TWh
| Month | Coal |
|---|---|
| 2024-09 | 80.0 GWh |
| 2024-10 | 30.0 GWh |
| 2024-11 | 150 GWh |
| 2024-12 | 110 GWh |
| 2025-01 | 350 GWh |
| 2025-02 | 310 GWh |
| 2025-03 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-04 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-05 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-06 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-07 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-08 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-09 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-10 | 0 TWh |
| 2025-11 | 320 GWh |
| 2025-12 | 340 GWh |
| 2026-01 | 380 GWh |
| 2026-02 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-03 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-04 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-05 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-06 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-07 | 0 TWh |
| 2026-08 | 0 TWh |
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of August 2026. Monthly figures for France can differ slightly from the annual totals.