China Coal Plant Approvals Down 80% In First Semester

Approvals for new coal-fired power plants in China dropped sharply in the first half of this year, according to an analysis released recently, following a surge in permits over the previous two years that raised concerns about the government’s commitment to limiting climate change, Ken Moritsugu reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Although China leads the world in solar and wind power installations, the government has stated that coal plants are still needed for periods of peak demand because wind and solar power are less reliable. I Photo: China Datang Corporation Ltd.

A review of project documents by Greenpeace East Asia found that 14 new coal plants were approved from January to June, with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts, down 80% from 50.4 gigawatts in the first half of last year.

Chinese authorities approved 90.7 gigawatts in 2022 and 106.4 gigawatts in 2023, a surge that alarmed climate experts.

Although China leads the world in solar and wind power installations, the government has stated that coal plants are still needed for periods of peak demand because wind and solar power are less reliable.

While China’s grid prioritizes greener sources of energy, experts worry that it will not be easy for China to transition away from coal once the new capacity is built.

“We may now be seeing a turning point,” Gao Yuhe, the project lead for Greenpeace East Asia, said in a statement.

“One question remains: Are Chinese provinces slowing down coal approvals because they’ve already approved so many coal projects, or are these the last gasps of coal power in an energy transition that has seen coal become increasingly impractical? Only time can tell.”

Greenpeace released the analysis in collaboration with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a government-affiliated think tank.

The government has issued numerous documents in recent months on reducing carbon emissions and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, Olivia Zhang also reported for AP.