The coal-fired electricity generation sector and mercury

Canada has a rich diversity of resources for producing electricity.  Although the majority of electricity is produced with hydropower, approximately 19% of electricity in Canada is produced by burning coal. Coal is an important component of the resource mix; it is an abundant resource and an inexpensive option for producing electricity. 

Coal contains trace amounts of mercury, which can be released when it is burned. It is estimated that Canadian coal-fired power plants emitted 2.0 tonnes of mercury to the atmosphere in 2000, about 25% of Canada’s total⁽¹⁾. In the United States, coal-burning utilities release about 39 tonnes of mercury every year. Since 2000, Canadian utilities have been required to report their annual mercury emissions under the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI).

(1) Environment Canada National Pollutant Release Inventory, 2000.