China can meet carbon neutrality goals – by phasing out coal plants, US study says
- Researchers recommend taking existing, inefficient coal generators offline and halting all new construction
- As of last year, China had 1,050 gigawatts of installed coal-fired power capacity, or more than the rest of the world combined
Achieving the target would require an immediate halt to the construction of new coal-fired power plants, the prompt closure of existing, inefficient facilities and the gradual phasing out of all remaining plants, the study said.
The research, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, was led by a team from the Centre for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland in the United States.
“Results in this paper show that with enhanced action, China can meet both domestic and global goals through a structured phasing out of coal power,” said Nate Hultman, the centre’s director and co-author of the study.
As of last year, China had 1,050 gigawatts of installed coal-fired power capacity, or more than the rest of the world combined.
The study analysed the technical, economic and environmental performance of 1,037 Chinese coal-fired power plants.