China Leads Global Coal Power Surge as Capacity Hits Record
- Rise highlights Beijing’s continued focus on energy security
- World’s capacity ex-China increases for first time since 2019
The world’s coal fleet grew by 2% to 2,130 gigawatts, with China accounting for about two thirds of the increase.
Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images
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Global coal-power capacity rose to a record last year, led by a surge in new plants in China and a slowdown in retirements around the world, according to a new report from Global Energy Monitor.
The world’s coal fleet grew by 2% to 2,130 gigawatts, with China accounting for about two thirds of the increase followed by Indonesia and India, according to the climate research firm. China also started construction on 70 gigawatts of new coal plants last year, nearly 20 times more than the rest of the world combined.