China’s aggressive expansion of coal power undermining global efforts to wean itself off dirty fuel: study

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New coal power capacity under development in China rose 38 per cent to 366GW last year, while it fell 20 per cent in rest of the world, according to a report by climate NGOs

The world needs to step up the pace of retiring coal capacity 4.5 times faster than last year if the UN’s aim of phasing out coal by 2040 is to be met, according to Global Energy Monitor

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A coal power station belches smoke in Datong, China’s northern Shanxi province. China has accelerated plans to build new coal plants. Photo: AFP

Yujie Xuein Shenzhen

Published: 4:02pm, 6 Apr 2023Updated: 4:18pm, 6 Apr 2023

China’s aggressive expansion of coal power projects last year set back global efforts to phase out existing plants, which is crucial in the fight against climate change, according to a new study.

Coal-powered capacity in operation in developed and developing countries fell in 2022 as existing plants were retired and proposed projects were cancelled, except in China where new projects are coming up as local governments heed Beijing’s call to ensure energy security.

New coal capacity under development in China increased 38 per cent to 366 gigawatts (GW) last year, while it decreased 20 per cent elsewhere, which drove global projects under development to 537GW, up 12 per cent after hitting a record low in 2021, according to the annual survey released on Thursday by San Francisco-based Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and 12 other climate non-profit organisations.

Globally, 45.5GW of coal capacity was commissioned in 2022, with nearly 60 per cent coming from China, according to the report. And although 26GW of coal capacity was retired globally last year, the world’s coal-powered fleet grew by 19.5GW, an increase of less than 1 per cent compared with 2021.

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“The more new coal projects come online, the steeper the cuts and commitments need to be in the future,” said Flora Champenois, lead author of the report and project manager for GEM’s global coal plant tracker. “At this rate, the transition away from existing and new coal isn’t happening fast enough to avoid climate chaos.”

The GEM report came as the United Nations’ climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warned in its latest report last month that current plans and pace of climate actions are insufficient to meet the Paris climate agreement of limiting global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.