What Number Of Coal-Fired Power Plants Does China Construct Annually?
Last updated: December 30, 2025
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China permitted a significant surge in coal power plants in 2023, approving the construction of about 50 new coal-fired power plants in the first half of the year alone, averaging two per week. This represents the highest number of new coal plant approvals in seven years, totaling 648 new coal power plants. As a result, the country is experiencing a resurgence in coal infrastructure, which poses challenges to its clean energy ambitions. Reports from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) indicate that this trend undermines efforts to transition towards renewable energy.
Despite substantial advances in renewable energy capacity, with 357 gigawatts added in 2024, coal continues to play a central role in China’s power generation strategy. This dual development path highlights that renewable generation is being added on top of existing coal generation rather than replacing it. The construction of nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity marks the highest rate in almost a decade, with the total of coal power plants under construction or permitted standing at 243 gigawatts.
The peaks of coal power activity are evident as approvals for coal plants reached unprecedented levels, surpassing 100 gigawatts in recent years. In 2021, China’s installed coal-based power generation capacity reached 1, 080 gigawatts, remaining a critical component in the nation’s energy mix, with operational coal power plants numbering 1, 195 by mid-2025.
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