The construction of the Chinese coal plant is “undermining” its renewable transition, is it approaching that?

Eric World essay

“… In 2024, coal energy construction activity increased to 94.5 GW, its highest level since 2015, reinforcing the rooted paper of coal in the energy system.”

PRESS RELEASE

The expansion of the power of the coal of China undergoes the progress of clean energy

Beijing, February 13, 2025 – even when China’s renewable energies shot in 2024, with solar energy and wind month after month throughout the year, the country remains wrapped in coal, supported by dirty fuel to satisfy the High energy demands.

The continuous expansion of China’s coal power is undermining the progress of the country’s clean energy, according to a new report from the Clean Energy and Air Research Center and Global Energy Monitor. In 2024, coal energy construction activity increased to 94.5 GW, its highest level since 2015, reinforcing the rooted paper of coal in the energy system. Meanwhile, the country approved 66.7 GW of new coal energy capacity, with approvals that recovered in the second half after a slower start of the year.

While China leads the world in the renewable energy deployment, adding a 356 GW record of wind and solar capacity in 2024, the simultaneous expansion of coal power raises critical concerns about its ability to transition to fossil fuels. Instead of replacing coal, clean energy is being placed on an existing heavy fossil weight system, which makes it more and more difficult to achieve the planned change towards an electricity sector driven by renewable energy.

Despite the deceleration in the previous years and early 2024, the power of coal allows rebounding in the second half of 2024, was not insignificant and contradicts political commitments to curb coal consumption. The increase in coal energy allows us to threaten to block the dependence on fossil fuels at a time when China’s energy system needs greater flexibility to integrate renewable energies.

In 2024, more than 75% of the newly approved coal energy capacity was supported by coal mining companies or energy groups with coal operations, which reinforces the domain of coal even when market foundations do not justify the expansion. Long -term coal energy contracts, as well as the justifications of the local government for new plants, often based on economic growth instead of network reliability, and the strong influence of coal mining companies in financing New projects further delay energy transition. Renewable energies intensify, with a growing reduction in wind and solar generation, particularly in the fourth quarter of 2024.

These trends challenge China’s climatic commitments, including the objectives established by President Xi Jinping personally to “strictly control coal generation projects, and strictly limit the increase in coal consumption during the 14th plan of five plan of five years and reduce it in the 15th five -year period. ” Clean energy

‘The rapid expansion of China’s renewable energy has the potential to remodel its energy system, but this opportunity is being undermined by the simultaneous expansion of the power of coal. The continuous approval and construction of new coal plants, often driven by the interests of the industry and obsolete contracts instead of the real needs of the networks, reduce them to China in dependence on fossil fuels at a time when Flexibility is crucial to integrate clean energy. Without decisive policies, China’s energy transition will continue to be a “energy addition” instead of a true transformation away from coal, said Qi Qin, principal author of the Report and Analyst of China in CREA.

‘Mining companies and Chinese mining energy are sponsoring and building new coal plants beyond what is necessary to support the impressive growth of the country in solar and wind energy. The continuous search for coal is displacing by the use of the country of clean energy of lower cost, and threatens to undermine the promise of 2021 of President XI to strictly limit coal and gradually gradually in the next five years, “said Christine Shearer, global energy monitor research analyst.

-END-

Contacts

Qi Qin, Chinese analyst, creates
qi@energyandcleanair.org

China team, creates
Consultations China@energyandcleanair.org

Christine Shearer, research analyst, global energy monitor
christine.shearer@globalenergymonitor.org

Note for editors

The publication related to this press release is available here. About creates the Clean Energy and Air Research Center (CREA) is an independent research organization focused on revealing trends, causes and impacts on health, as well as solutions to air pollution. We use scientific data, research and evidence to support the effects of governments, companies and campaign organizations around the world in their efforts to move towards clean energy and clean air.

www.energyandcleanair.org

About Gema

The Global Energy Monitor (GEM) develops and shares information in support of the World Clean Energy Movement. When studying the International Energy Panorama in evolution and create databases, reports and interactive tools that improve understanding, Gem seeks to build an open guide for the world’s energy system.

www.globalenergymonitor.org

Fountain: https://energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/press-release_crea_gem_china_coal-power_h2-2024_final.pdf

The report is Available here.

I see the hilarious show of China that builds coal plants to sign renewable as a look at how life should have been in the imperial era.

Emperor XI wants renewable energy plants, and the emperor’s commands are absolute. But you can still solve your energy problems through the construction of coal plants. That way the emperor can see his People of Potemkin Solar and wind facilities, while hiding behind a hill somewhere, the old technological coal plant produces the energy that actually feeds the provincial industry.

Update (EW): Is Emperor XI seriously taken the green energy? We cannot know with certainty, but Xi Jinping once accidentally closed the Chinese economy because it imposed a strict carbon quota, so I think it really wants to reduce CO2 emissions. Possibly for strategic reasons / fuel dependence instead of environmental reasons.