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China Approved Record Number of Coal Plants in 2022, Highest Since 2015: Report

Despite a record rise in coal power plants in China and across Asia’s emerging markets, global CO2 emissions may be starting to plateau owing to the rapid expansion of renewable energy, new research suggests.

In 2022, China approved the construction of 106 gigawatts’ worth of coal-fired power capacity, the equivalent of all the UK’s plants combined and the highest since 2015, a new study has found.

According to the report, compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), the surge in approvals followed last summer’s severe power shortages in the country amid a historic drought that compromised hydropower generation while boosting air conditioning usage. The heatwave drove China’s peak power demand up 230 gigawatts, more than 20% of its previous peak.

Despite the huge addition of coal power plants – more than six times the amount approved across the rest of the world – CO2 emissions in the country were largely offset by the strict pandemic measures and a nationwide decline in industrial activities and transport. 

While China remains highly dependent on coal power, Beijing pledged to cut coal consumption in the 2026-30 period and reach a peak in planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions by the end of the current decade. And rapid progress in scaling up renewable energy – the fastest in the world – is expected to help the country achieve these targets. 

In the past two years, China added more wind generation capacity than over the previous seven, and last year generated 46% more wind energy than all of Europe, the second-largest wind generation market. Solar also experiences a 27% surge in 2022, pushing China’s electricity share from renewable sources to a record 34.2%.