Coal surge in China: record expansion threatens 2025 climate goals!

Coal surge in China: record expansion threatens 2025 climate goals!

In the first half of 2025, China ramped up its coal-fired power capacity to a record level. With an impressive 21 gigawatts of newly commissioned power plants, this is the largest increase in nine years, reports Nordkurier. An increase of over 80 gigawatts in coal-fired power plants is forecast for the entire year 2025. Despite global efforts to transform energy, coal remains a central part of China's energy system and shows no signs of slowing down.

In the first half of 2023, China approved an average of two new coal-fired power plants per week, with a total output of 52 gigawatts. The rapid development is mainly due to shortages in the electricity supply in recent years. There are currently over 240 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants under construction or already approved, which makes it clear that coal continues to be a mainstay of the national energy mix, as the Tagesschau reports.

Climate goals and renewable energy

The Chinese government is committed to the Paris climate goals and plans to reach peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and be climate neutral by 2060. Nevertheless, the massive expansion of coal power is viewed critically. Experts warn that the ongoing boom in coal-fired power generation could threaten climate goals, as almost half of China's energy needs are currently met by coal-fired power plants, according to an article in Der Spiegel.

Although CO2 emissions in the energy sector were reduced by three percent in the first half of 2025, the pressure remains great. The Chinese government uses coal when there is not enough energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar, maintaining dependence on fossil fuels.

The look forward

These developments raise questions about the future energy and climate targets in the five-year plan 2026 to 2030. It remains to be seen whether China can have a good hand in balancing coal expansion and the promotion of renewable energies. After all, the country is planning a massive expansion of more than 500 gigawatts of wind and solar energy in 2025, which could give hope for a long-term turnaround.

The strategy behind the coal boon is clear: new power plants should guarantee the security and stability of the electricity supply. However, critics complain that many of the new projects are being built in regions that already have a sufficient supply of coal-fired power plants. It remains to be seen how developments in the coming years will influence the global climate target.

The challenges are enormous, and the world is looking to China, which has established itself as a central player in the global fight against climate change. But how successful China will ultimately be remains uncertain.

Overall, it will remain exciting to see which decisions China will actually implement in the coming years.