China May Waste $490 Billion on Unneeded Coal Plants: Study
- IEA in Spetember said China may invest too much in coal power
- Signs show China’s coal generation peaking: Carbon Tracker
Environmental watchdog Greenpeace warned on March 22 the worlds coal plants are deepening the global water crisis as the water consumed by them can meet the basic needs of one billion people. / AFP / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
China risks wasting $490 billion by building more coal power plants than it needs as slower power demand growth and less polluting energy sources squeeze coal generation out of the power mix, according to a study from an environmental think tank.
As of July, the country had 895 gigawatts of operating coal capacity being utilized less than half the time, with another 205 gigawatts under construction, London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative said in the report.