Energy watchdogs claim that China cannot continue to approve new coal power projects at the rate of two plants every week if it wants to meet its energy goals.
By 2030, the government has promised to accomplish net zero emissions, and in 2021, President Xi Jinping promised to stop constructing coal-fired power plants abroad.
However, following regional power shortages in 2022, China went on a domestic hiring frenzy, authorizing new projects and resuming those that had been put on hold. A record-breaking 106 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity were approved by the government in 2022. A sizable coal power station is comparable to one gigawatt.
According to analysis released on Tuesday by the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, this wave of approvals is continuing and may surpass the record set last year.
According to the report, in the first half of 2023, authorities approved 52GW of new coal power, started building on 37GW, announced 41GW of new projects, and revived 8GW of abandoned projects. It stated that during the summer, building had begun on nearly half of the plants approved for 2022.
According to the analysts, China won’t be able to cut its coal-fired power capacity during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) without also canceling projects that have already received permits or massively retiring existing plants early.
Analysts have noted significant developments in China’s renewable energy industry, which the government wants to replace coal with as the country’s primary source of energy.
The largest generator of renewable energy in the world, including hydroelectricity, solar energy, and wind energy, is China. The infrastructure to store and deliver goods, however, has not kept up, according to earlier evaluations.
Energy derived from fossil fuels is still necessary to ensure grid stability or integrate variable renewable energy sources due to gaps in interconnectivity between regional networks and problems with power delivery in some places. The research claims that many or most of the approvals being hastily granted are not in regions with those problems.
China must commit to its 2030 energy goals
Energy watchdogs claim that China cannot continue to approve new coal power projects at the rate of two plants every week if it wants to meet its energy goals.
By 2030, the government has promised to accomplish net zero emissions, and in 2021, President Xi Jinping promised to stop constructing coal-fired power plants abroad.
However, following regional power shortages in 2022, China went on a domestic hiring frenzy, authorizing new projects and resuming those that had been put on hold. A record-breaking 106 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity were approved by the government in 2022. A sizable coal power station is comparable to one gigawatt.
According to analysis released on Tuesday by the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, this wave of approvals is continuing and may surpass the record set last year.
According to the report, in the first half of 2023, authorities approved 52GW of new coal power, started building on 37GW, announced 41GW of new projects, and revived 8GW of abandoned projects. It stated that during the summer, building had begun on nearly half of the plants approved for 2022.
Without future cancellations of already allowed projects or large early retirement of existing plants, China won’t be able to cut coal-fired power capacity during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) unless permission is promptly stopped.
Analysts have noted significant developments in China’s renewable energy industry, which the government wants to replace coal with as the country’s primary source of energy.
The largest generator of renewable energy in the world, including hydroelectricity, solar energy, and wind energy, is China. The infrastructure to store and deliver goods, however, has not kept up, according to earlier evaluations.
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Energy derived from fossil fuels is still necessary to ensure grid stability or integrate variable renewable energy sources due to gaps in interconnectivity between regional networks and problems with power delivery in some places. The research claims that many or most of the approvals being hastily granted are not in regions with those problems.
