China slams brakes on coal power plants as clean energy gains momentum for net-zero target
- China permitted only 9GW of new coal power capacity in the first half, 83 per cent lower than a year earlier, according to a new energy report
China put a brake on approvals for coal-fired power plants in the first half of this year as the development of renewable energy gained momentum, according to a new report. More can be done to roll back previously approved facilities, it said.
The government permitted only 9 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, 83 per cent lower than a year earlier, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) said in a report on Thursday. Proposals for building new and reviving older plants also saw a 38 per cent decline to 37GW, it added.
“The steep drop in new coal plant permits is a hopeful sign that China’s massive solar and wind builds are dampening its coal ambitions,” Christine Shearer, research analyst at GEM, said in the report.
The slowdown in coal-fired plant approvals reflects China’s priority in promoting clean energy, which is now being installed at levels sufficient to meet China’s electricity demand growth, the non-profit organisations said in the report.
Wind and solar energy are expected to account for more than 40 per cent of China’s total installed power-generation capacity by end-2024, after surpassing coal-based capacity for the first time this year, the China Electricity Council (CEC) said last month.