Back الفحم في الصين Arabic Industrie charbonnière en Chine French Угольная промышленность Китая Russian சீனாவில் நிலக்கரி Tamil Вугільна промисловість Китаю Ukrainian 中国煤炭工业 Chinese
China is the largest producer and consumer of coal and coal power in the world.
The Chinese central government has continued efforts to curb new coal plant construction while expanding renewable, nuclear, and natural gas power generation.[1] However, coal consumption remained high, with fossil fuel power generation increasing by 1.5% in 2023 due to surging electricity demand, particularly from energy-intensive sectors like AI, automation, and data centers.[2]
Solar and wind power generation surged in 2022 by over 30% and 25%, respectively, compared to the previous year. By May 2024, clean energy accounted for 44% of China’s electricity generation, pushing coal’s share to a record low of 53%. Analysts expect renewables to meet all new electricity demand in 2025, which could cap further coal power growth.[3][2]
Despite these shifts, coal expansion has persisted. In the first half of 2021, 43 new coal power units were announced, and in 2022, China’s increasing coal capacity offset global reductions in coal use.[4][5] However, major grid upgrades worth $800 billion are underway and are expected to alleviate renewable energy curtailment, potentially accelerating China’s clean energy transition.[2]
In September 2021, China pledged to end financing for overseas coal power plants,[6] leading to the cancellation of at least 15 projects by April 2022.[7]
- ^ "A glut of new coal-fired power stations endangers China's green ambitions". Economist. 21 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Yoon, June (January 2025). "China may finally put a lid on coal". Financial Times.
- ^ Myllyvirta, Lauri (11 July 2024). "China's clean energy pushes coal to record-low 53% share of power in May 2024". Carbon Brief.
- ^ "China's power & steel firms continue to invest in coal even as emissions surge cools down" (PDF). Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 August 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "China's Xi Jinping promises to halt new coal projects abroad amid climate crisis". cnn. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "At Least 15 China-Backed Coal Plants Canceled, Another 37 GW in Limbo". Power. 24 April 2022.