China: energy from growing coal, but record level of renewables

Energy production from coal in China has recorded strong growth in the first half, simultaneously at a record level of renewables, according to a report published on Monday.

Coal has been an essential source of energy in China for decades, but the strong growth in wind and solar installations in recent years has given rise to hope that the country could do without this polluting fossil fuel.

Coal represents approximately half of the electricity production in China, against three -quarters in 2016.

The country has commissioned 21 gigawatts (GW) of energy from coal during the first six months of this year, the highest total for a first half since 2016, according to the report of the Research Center on Energy and Pure Air (CREA) and the Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

China has also started or restarted the construction of coal power plant projects totalizing 46 GW, the equivalent of the total coal power of South Korea, and launched 75 GW of new projects.

This growth threatens China’s objective to reach its peak of carbon emissions by 2030 and risks consolidating the role of coal in its energy sector, according to the report.

The second world economy is the largest greenhouse gas transmitter responsible for climate change, but it also proves to be a power in terms of renewable energies.

The development of energy from coal in China shows no signs of slowdown, which maintains emissions at a high level and condemns coal to stay in the system for many years.

More coal could soon be used, because a considerable number of projects [charbonniers] already authorized remain pending Following a sharp increase in the new permits issued in 2022 and 2023, when the Chinese electricity network had trouble adapting to the growth of renewable energies, notes Lauri Myllyvirta, chief analyst at CREA.

Since then, the improvement of the functioning of the network and storage has resolved these problems, while the projects of coal -fired power plants approved at the time are still under constructionhe adds.

Clean energies

This coal boom occurs despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy production in China, which now covers the growth of the country’s electricity demand.

China installed 212 GW of solar capacity in the first half, a new record that goes beyond the total solar capacity installed in the United States at the end of 2024.

The country is on the right track to install enough clean energy (solar, wind, nuclear and hydraulic) in 2025 to meet the total electricity demand from Germany and Great Britain combined.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was committed in 2021 to strictly control projects related to coal energy and growth in coal consumption before gradually reduce them Between 2026 and 2030.

But the report points out that only 1 GW of electricity production capacity from coal was removed during the first half of 2025, which leaves the country far from its objective of withdrawing 30 GW between 2020 and the end of this year.

Powerful charcoal interests continue to put pressure in favor of these projects, explains Qi Qin, principal author of the report and China analyst in CREA.

And new coal -related projects could prevent renewable energies from developingaccording to her.

China is expected to announce new programs and energy objectives in the coming months, by publishing its 15th five-year plan for the period 2026-2030.

XI had promised in April that the country would detail its commitments in the reduction of greenhouse gases for 2035, before the COP30 of November.