The global demand for coal is set to rise by 2.6% in 2021.

That’s according to the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which forecasts a rebound in global coal demand next year, led by China, India and Southeast Asia.

The research estimates global coal consumption fell by 7%, or more than 500 million tonnes, between 2018 and 2020.

The findings show that demand for coal to produce electricity dropped by 3.3% in 2019 reflecting weak electricity demand growth, larger renewable energy generation and lower natural gas prices.

These circumstances pushed total coal demand down by 1.8% to 7,627 million tonnes while coal demand in non-power sectors rose slightly, IEA said.

The strongest declines in coal-fired power generation were in Europe with a 19% drop and the US with a decline of 14%.

By contrast, coal consumption increased by 1.2% in the Asia Pacific region. according to the analysis.