Updated September 2026
Coal Production
In 2025, total marketable coal production decreased by 11% from 2024 due to lower thermal and metallurgical coal prices, as well as temporary operational disruptions at the Grande Cache mine. Subbituminous coal production was near zero in 2025, as Alberta’s last coal-fired power plant was fully converted to natural gas for electricity generation in 2024.
Our forecast for bituminous coal production now includes three major new or expansion projects: Mine 14, the Vista Coal Mine Phase II Expansion, and the Grassy Mountain project. We have applied a risk factor to account for the regulatory approvals process, as well as the financing and construction phases. Bituminous coal production is projected to increase modestly over the forecast period. With the June 2024 closure of the Genesee mine, subbituminous coal production is expected to be near zero, with small production from the Dodds coal mine, which supplies coal for heating agricultural, residential, and industrial buildings throughout Western Canada.
Coal Demand
Demand for subbituminous coal in Alberta is expected to be near zero as coal-fired power plants are either converted to natural gas or decommissioned.
International demand for metallurgical and thermal coals is expected to remain stable, particularly from Asian markets and other developing regions over the forecast period.
Alberta's thermal bituminous coal is exported to several countries, but two accounted for most of the exports:
- Japan: 2.8 megatonnes
- South Korea: 2.5 megatonnes
Figures
Figure S7.1 shows the Alberta marketable coal production.
