China’s construction of coal-fired power plants reached its highest level in nearly a decade in 2024, contradicting President Xi Jinping’s pledge to peak carbon emissions before 2030, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
The report, released on Thursday, revealed that while China added a record 356GW of wind and solar power capacity last year, it also initiated coal power plant construction with a total capacity of 94.5GW—the highest since 2015. An additional 3.3GW of previously suspended coal projects were also resumed, reinforcing coal’s entrenched role in the nation’s energy mix despite significant investment in renewables.
“Instead of replacing coal, clean energy is being layered on top of an entrenched reliance on fossil fuels,” said the report, lead-authored by Qi Qin of Crea and Christine Shearer of GEM. The researchers warned that this parallel expansion of coal and renewables threatens China’s transition to clean energy.
China remains the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for approximately 30% of global emissions. Despite this, the country has aggressively expanded its renewable energy capacity, with its 2024 wind and solar installations nearly matching the total capacity of the United States. Xi has committed to peaking CO₂ emissions before 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
A senior Chinese official defended the country’s efforts, stating, “China has always been a doer in climate response and is firmly committed to green and low-carbon development. Our carbon emissions intensity has kept decreasing, and the share of non-fossil fuel in total energy consumption has steadily increased.”
However, the Crea and GEM report highlighted structural challenges that hinder China’s clean energy transition. Long-term coal power purchase agreements discourage electricity buyers from prioritizing renewable energy, while coal mining companies continue funding 75% of newly approved coal power projects, even when market fundamentals do not justify them.
Analysts also pointed to China’s lack of a unified national energy market as a factor behind the coal surge. This has led different regions to construct their own coal plants to manage fluctuations in renewable energy production, even when nationwide capacity might be sufficient.
David Fishman, a senior manager at consultancy Lantau Group, noted that China’s coal plant fleet operates at only about 50% capacity, and additional construction will likely reduce the overall utilization rate. “For the most part, coal competes with other coal,” he said.
As China continues to balance energy security with its climate goals, the increasing reliance on coal power raises concerns over the feasibility of meeting its ambitious emissions reduction targets. The latest figures indicate that despite its renewable energy progress, coal remains a dominant force in the country’s power system.
