China approved 11.29 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power plants in the first three months of 2025, already exceeding the 10.34 GW approved in the first half of 2024, a new Greenpeace report showed on Thursday.
Last year, Chinese approvals of new coal-fired power capacity fell 41.5% year-on-year to 62.24 GW, the first annual decline since 2021. The new data suggest approvals are tracking higher this year.
While all the approved projects may not be built, the growing pipeline signals a continued reliance on coal.
Reducing coal use to cut emissions is key to China's goal to hit peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
Gao Yuhe, Greenpeace's climate and energy project manager for East Asia said,
“The year 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the country’s energy transition. There is already enough existing capacity to meet today's peak demand.
Approving a new wave of large-scale coal projects risks creating overcapacity, stranded assets, and higher transition costs.”
State planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the National Energy Administration did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment.
This year marks the last in China's 2021-2025 five-year plan, in which China has approved 289 GW in new coal capacity, around double the 145 GW approved for the 2016-2020 period.
China has said it will start to phase down coal during the 2026-2030 five-year plan, but Beijing has not committed to any specific targets.
In return, Greenpeace called for more ambitious carbon emissions goals from China and a clear timeline for phasing out coal.
It also said China's power sector emissions could peak this year as growth in wind and solar outpaces coal.
