Energy Greenpeace expects less expansion of China's coal power
According to Greenpeace, China is on track to add less coal-fired power plant capacity for another year in a row. According to Greenpease East Asia, Beijing approved 41.77 gigawatts of new coal-fired capacity in the first three quarters.
25.11.2025, 03:45
SDA
If the trend continues, the People's Republic would approve less capacity in 2025 for the second year in a row. "The peak of emissions in the Chinese energy sector is already within reach in 2025," said Greenpeace expert Gao Yuhe. After 2021, it would also be the year with the second-lowest amount of approved capacity in the period of the 14th five-year plan, which ends this year.
Coal remains important
China emits the most carbon dioxide in the world and is sticking to its target of peaking its climate-damaging emissions by 2030. The country continues to rely on coal for its electricity generation and also uses it to produce chemicals or gas, for which the industry otherwise requires oil - a raw material for which the People's Republic is dependent on imports.
During the climate summit in Belém, Brazil, at which China was also represented, the negotiators were unable to agree on a plan for phasing out the climate-damaging burning of coal, oil and gas. Beijing tended to keep a low profile. Experts considered China's climate targets for 2035 announced in September to be insufficient.
How China justifies its coal expansion
The official documents examined by Greenpeace showed that China has been adding more coal-fired power capacity since 2024, particularly in the country's western provinces, such as Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. According to Gao, China is increasingly justifying the expansion of coal-fired power with security of supply and system flexibility.
However, the expert warns that these plants could lose value too quickly while China continues to expand renewable energies. According to the National Energy Administration, China's solar and wind energy capacities exceeded those of coal-fired power for the first time at the beginning of the year. At the end of September, renewable energy accounted for 2,200 gigawatts of capacity - around 59.1 percent of China's total installed power generation capacity.
