How many coal power plants is china building

If it lasts into as China strives to avoid bad economic outcomes ahead of its key CCP 20th party congress in November , climate policy optimists might have to rethink for sure. This article is more than 1 month old. Engineers operating at the coal dock in Tianjin port, China. What is Cop26 and why does it matter?

The complete guide. Read more. Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent. In , the number of units fell by four, down from a net increase of in In , the number of units decreased by 40 and there was another reduction of 29 in The chart shows how several countries, notably China, have been closing many hundreds of smaller, older and less efficient units, replacing them with larger and more efficient models.

Data from the IEA and recent Carbon Brief analysis shows CO2 emissions from coal power have levelled off, even though coal capacity continues to increase. Coal CO2 emissions were flat during red line despite coal generation rising 1. Since coal capacity continues to increase pink , existing coal plants are running for fewer hours purple.

Left axis: Global coal-fired electricity generation yellow, terawatt hours , CO2 emissions red, millions of tonnes of CO2 and capacity pink, gigawatts between and Apart from running hours, a range of other factors affect the relationship between coal capacity and CO2 emissions.

These include the type of coal and combustion technology each plant uses. Rarely used anthracite is hard, but has high CO2 emissions, as it contains less hydrogen than other grades. This is roughly twice the emissions of gas-fired electricity and in the order of higher than nuclear, wind or solar. The IEA sees little role for coal-fired power in 2C scenarios as residual emissions are too high , even when using carbon capture and storage CCS. Note that the chart, above, contains the latest available information from the IEA supplemented with more recently Carbon Brief published analysis.

Low load factors are corrosive for coal-plant economics. This is also the basis of cost estimates for building new coal, whereas lower running hours raise costs per unit of electricity. This dynamic is particularly toxic for coal-plant operators competing against the rapidly falling costs of renewables, cheap gas in the US and rising carbon prices in the EU. Constraints on coal supply are raising coal prices, further undermining any remaining cost advantage over the alternatives.

When it comes to cheap electricity, the centre of gravity is shifting rapidly away from fossil fuels around the world. New air pollution rules are also increasing coal-plant costs in many jurisdictions, from the EU to India to Indonesia. Operators must invest in pollution control equipment to meet higher emissions standards, or close their dirtiest plants altogether. This combination of factors means that large parts of the existing coal fleet in the EU and even China or India face severe economic headwinds, recently highlighted by financial thinktank Carbon Tracker.

The first tipping has been passed in most regions, where new renewable energy is now already cheaper than new coal. Note that coal plants may remain open in the face of unfavourable economic conditions for other reasons, for example, due to capacity market payments. Some 80 countries use coal to generate electricity, up from 66 in Since then, 15 countries have added coal capacity for the first time and one country — Belgium — has phased it out.

Meanwhile, 13 countries hope to join the coal power club in future, including Egypt, shown in the table, below. A few key countries dominate this picture. This is more capacity than all except three countries China, India and the US , as the table above shows. Since , the most dramatic changes have taken place in China, as the slider below shows. Its coal fleet grew five-fold between and to reach 1,GW, nearly half the global total. In , overall electricity demand growth slowed and the increase was mostly met by low-carbon sources, meaning coal use flattened.

In the first few months of , the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns across China saw coal generation plummet to multi-year lows. Looking to the longer term, the main question will be the nature of the expected government stimulus in response to the crisis. On the other hand, the sector is under pressure from renewables, a power price freeze and upcoming electricity market reforms, as well as a national carbon trading scheme.

Typical power plants in China now run at less than half of their rated capacity, further weakening profits. Its data shows that some GW of planned capacity was cancelled in alone, though some previously on-hold schemes were also revived. This expansion can be seen in the slider, below. Other analysts and indicators suggest this increase may be in doubt.

The rate of coal capacity growth in India has more than halved since , as the chart above shows, and there are signs it is slowing ever further. In , coal-fired electricity output fell in India for the first time in at least three decades.

The IEA has dramatically cut its forecasts for Indian demand, due to slower than expected electricity demand growth and the falling price for renewables. The economic status of most of these plants has been or is now in the process of being resolved. Meanwhile, prime minister Narendra Modi has announced even more ambitious targets for renewable expansion. If they are met, they would further limit the case for new coal capacity.

The current pipeline includes 37GW under construction, half of which is on hold , most often due to financial problems, according to Global Energy Monitor. Market conditions, on the other hand, continue to favour gas-fired power plants and renewables. There are no plans for new US coal capacity. The EU and UK are also seeing a wave of coal retirements.

Along with Canada, European countries are leading global efforts to phase out coal. Half the coal burned in the world is burned in China. It is still adding numerous new coal power plants at home, with a lifespan of 40 to 50 years.

The biggest question remains: When will this country start to cut the overall number within its borders and substantially reduce its dependency on the most polluting form of power generation? Mr Xi's address came after US President Joe Biden gave his maiden speech at the United Nations during which he urged countries to work together as never before to tackle global problems such as climate change and the pandemic.

Mr Biden also said that democracy would not be defeated by authoritarianism, but refrained from mentioning China by name. Relations between the US and China are at an all time low over issues including trade, human rights and the origins of Covid In his address, Mr Xi said that China had peaceful intentions in international relations. But he also seemed to address the tensions and the formation of alliances in the region like the "Quad" grouping, made up of Australia, the US, India and Japan, saying there was a need to "reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games".

China applies to join key Asia-Pacific trade pact. China sets surprise carbon neutrality goal. Aukus pact could signal power shift in Asia-Pacific. Image source, Getty Images.