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China Opens Surge of New Coal Power Plants in 2025 Despite Rapid Renewable Growth
China added a record 434 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2025 but approved 291 GW of coal power projects, risking higher emissions and energy overcapacity, experts said.
- On Feb 3, CREA and GEM reported China is building new coal plants while maintaining record renewable investments, despite recent growth in wind and solar capacity.
- Power shortages in 2021-22 and the 2022 drought in south-west China spooked provincial governments, prompting approvals for new coal projects after China's central government signals encouraged more permits.
- Data from CREA, GEM and the National Energy Administration show China installed a record 434 gigawatts of wind and solar while bringing 78 gigawatts of new coal capacity online in 2025.
- CREA and GEM warned that coal expansion risks locking in pollution and urged retiring inefficient plants in China's 15th Five‑Year Plan to prevent emissions from rising.
- The study recommends operational reforms such as putting part of the coal fleet offline as a reserve, as average utilisation at 47 per cent in 2025 was a record low, compared with about 70 per cent historically.
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Even if the expansion of solar and oil energy in China has progressed fast in 2025, the Asian giant has opened much more power stations on coal than in recent years,
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left8Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Left
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources lean Left
54% Left
L 54%
C 33%
13%
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