China appears to be hitting the brakes on coal, with the number of new coal plants approved so far this year down 80 percent from the same period in 2023.
According to a report by the Chinese government, Chinese authorities approved 10.3 gigawatts of new coal capacity from January to June, far less than the 50.4 gigawatts approved in the first half of last year. analysis from Greenpeace and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
Although China is optimistic about renewable energy sources, it is currently in the process of building them. twice as much wind and sun, just like the rest of the world together — officials are looking for coal to meet demand when solar and wind power are in short supply. China has approved 197.1 gigawatts of new coal capacity in the past two years, though the energy sector may now be at a turning point, analysts say.
“One question remains. Are Chinese provinces slowing down coal approvals because they have already approved so many coal projects?” asked Gao Yuhe, project manager for Greenpeace East Asia. “Or are these the last gasps of coal power in an energy transition where coal has become increasingly impractical? Only time will tell.”
So far this year, wind and solar generation has roughly matched China’s coal generation. As renewables continue to displace coal, it’s possible that China’s emissions could peaked last year. But there are still obstacles to bringing more wind and solar power online. China must new transmission lines to transport clean energy from where it is produced to where it is needed, meeting demand without increasing production from coal-fired power plants.
While China plans to equip coal-fired power stationsold and new, with technology to reduce emissions, analysts say the world’s largest emitter must focus on upgrading its grid to meet its climate goals. “Amid strong growth in wind and solar, connecting these new energy sources to China’s old, outdated grid remains a hurdle,” Gao said. “All the money spent on building new coal plants should actually be spent on improving the connectivity of the renewable grid.”
