BEIJING — Approvals for new coal-fired power plants in China fell sharply in the first half of this year, according to an analysis released Tuesday, after a surge in approvals in the previous two years raised doubts about the government’s commitment to limiting climate change.
A review of project documents by Greenpeace East Asia found that 14 new coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts were approved between January and June, down 80 percent from the 50.4 gigawatts in the first half of last year.
Chinese authorities approved 90.7 gigawatts in 2022 and 106.4 gigawatts in 2023, an increase that raised concerns among climate experts. China leads the world in installing solar and wind power, but the government has said coal-fired power plants will still be needed for times of peak demand because wind and solar are less reliable. While China’s grid favors greener energy sources, experts fear it will not be easy for China to wean itself off coal once the new capacity is built.
“We may now be witnessing a tipping point,” said Gao Yuhe, project director of Greenpeace East Asia, in a statement. “One question remains here. Are Chinese provinces slowing down the approval of coal projects because they have already approved so many coal projects…? Or are these the last gasps of coal power in an energy transition where coal has become increasingly impractical? Only time can tell.”
Greenpeace published the analysis jointly with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a government-affiliated think tank.
The government has published a series of documents in recent months to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
The National Energy Administration unveiled a three-year plan in June to retrofit existing coal-fired power plants and equip newly built ones with low-carbon technologies. Another government plan released this month to “accelerate the construction of a new energy system” targeted bottlenecks and other challenges, including how to expand renewable energy transmission.
China is also relying on nuclear energy to achieve its goals of reducing carbon emissions. The State Council, China’s cabinet, gave the green light on Monday to five nuclear power projects involving 11 units and a total cost of 200 billion yuan ($28 billion).
