Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 14 2021
P. 8
AsiaElec COAL AsiaElec
Chinese coal power approvals
offset decline in rest of world
CHINA CHINA’S continued expansion of its coal-fired Globally, commissioning of new plants fell to
generating sector is slowing down the rest of the 50.3 GW in 2020, a decline of 34% from 2019, as
world’s retreat from fossil fuels, according to new projects under development struggled to obtain
research. financing and many projects were delayed due to
A steep increase in coal plant development the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
in China offset a retreat from coal in the rest of In India, coal power capacity rose by just 0.7
the world in 2020, resulting in the first increase GW in 2020, with 2.0 GW commissioned and
in global coal capacity development since 2015, 1.3 GW retired.
according to a new report led by Global Energy New construction starts fell 5% from 28.3
Monitor (GEM). GW in 2019 to 27.0 GW in 2020. However,
In total, China was home to 85% of the 87.4 beyond China, new construction starts reduced
GW of proposed new coal plants in 2020. by 74%, from 21.1 GW in 2019 to 5.5 GW in
GEM said its report, Boom and Bust 2021: 2020.
Tracking the Global Coal Plant Pipeline, that a “In 2020, we saw country after country make
record-tying 37.8 GW of coal plants were retired announcements to cut the amount of coal power
in 2020, led by the US with 11.3 GW and EU27 in their future energy plans,” said Christine
with 10.1 GW. Shearer, GEM’s Coal Programme director.
President Trump’s promised coal boom was a “We are very likely seeing the last coal plants
bust as US coal plant retirements during Trump’s in planning throughout most of the world.”
four-year term rose to 52.4 GW, exceeding the The report’s figures for coal project approvals
48.9 GW retired during President Obama’s sec- align with figures from the International Renew-
ond term. ables Energy Agency (IRENA), reported by
China commissioned 38.4 GW of new coal NewsBase, which said in a recent report that new
plants in 2020, comprising 76% of the global fossil fuel-fired generating capacity decreased
total (50.3 GW). to 60 GW in 2020 from 64 GW in 2019. This
Outside China, 11.9 GW was commissioned is the figure for capacity put into commercial
and, taking into account closures, the global coal operation.
fleet outside China declined by 17.2 GW in 2020 “Dozens of new coal power projects, equal
– the third year in a row that coal power capacity to the total coal power capacity of Germany
outside China shrank. and Poland combined, were announced last
Outside China, the coal plant develop- year in China,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, Centre for
ment pipeline is collapsing in Asia as Bangla- Research on Energy and Clean Air’s (CREA)
desh, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia lead analyst.
have announced plans to cut up to 62.0 GW of “These projects are a key test of the country’s
planned coal power. pledge to peak emissions before 2030 and reach
GEM estimates the policies will leave 25.2 carbon neutrality before 2060. Cancelling them
GW of coal power capacity remaining in would put the country on track to the low-car-
pre-construction planning in the four countries bon development the leadership says it wants to
– an 80% decline from the 125.5 GW planned pursue.”
there just five years ago, in 2015.
P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 14 07•April•2021
