China, the largest coal consumer in the world, saw coal power projects jump in 2022 despite the country’s commitment to cut down coal consumption by the end of this decade.
In 2022, coal power construction starts, new project announcements, and plant permissions “accelerated dramatically” in China, according to a February report (pdf) by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Two new coal power plants were permitted per week in China. “50 GW of coal power capacity started construction in China in 2022, a more than 50 percent increase from 2021. Many of these projects had their permits fast-tracked and moved to construction in a matter of months,” the report said.
