Page 4 - AsiaElec Week 37 2021

AsiaElec COMMENTARY AsiaElec

Global coal plans collapse by 76%

GLOBAL AROUND the world, a total of 1,175 GW of proposed coal power plants in these countries
planned coal-fired power projects have been has collapsed by 85% since 2015.
cancelled since 2015, while 44 governments – In this group, only Australia, Colombia,
27 in the OECD and EU, 17 elsewhere – have Mexico, Poland and Turkey still have coal pro-
already committed to no new coal. jects, and are under pressure to follow their
A further 40 countries – eight in the OECD OECD and EU peers.
and EU, 32 elsewhere – are without any pro- Among non-OECD countries (excluding
jects in the pre-construction pipeline and are in China), the pre-construction pipeline has col-
a position where they could readily commit to lapsed by 77% since 2015, with a cancellation
“no new coal.” ratio of over 5:1.
E3G’s No New Coal Report found that new 27 countries have ended the development
government policies and sustained civil society of new coal power generation through project
opposition to coal has accelerated market trends cancellations and/or policy commitments since
away from the fuel. 2015.
“The collapse of the global coal pipeline and Southeast Asia (42%), South Asia (32%) and
the rise of commitments to ‘no new coal’ are pro- sub-Saharan Africa (13%) collectively account
gressing hand in hand. Ahead of COP26, govern- for 87% of the non-OECD pipeline.
ments can collectively confirm their intention to This shift away from coal is being reflected
move from coal to clean energy. The economics in governments’ political commitments, policy
of coal have become increasingly uncompetitive frameworks and NDC submissions, for example
in comparison to renewable energy, while the in Pakistan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. They are
risk of stranded assets has increased. Govern- serving as regional pathfinders that other coun-
ments can now act with confidence to commit to tries can follow.
‘no new coal,” said report author Chris Littlecott,
associate director at E3G. China
China alone is home to almost 53% of the capac-
Asia ity under construction and 55% of the pre-con-
Indeed, any current keenness for coal is confined struction pipeline.
to Asia, with the study naming China, India, China has, however, seen a 74% reduction in
Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey and Bangladesh the scale of its project pipeline, with 484 GW of
as accounting for over 80% of the world’s coal cancellations since Paris in 2016.
pipeline. President Xi has announced an intention that
The remaining pre-construction pipeline is China will ‘strictly control’ new coal growth as
spread across a further 31 countries, 16 of which part of long-term plans to achieve net zero by
have just one project. 2060.
With the OECD and EU, 56% of operat- However, this has yet to be reflected in sec-
ing capacity has either closed since 2010 or is toral Five-Year Plan (FYP) policies, the E3G
scheduled to shut by 2030, while the pipeline of report said.

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 15•September•2021