China’s Record Coal Burning in 2025
A report from the Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA), released on Monday, indicates that China is burning unprecedented amounts of coal this year. In the first half of 2025 alone, coal production at power plants reached about 21 gigawatts.
Based in Finland, CREA expressed disappointment over China’s increasing coal consumption, especially in light of significant investments in renewable energy sources in the country.
The report offered some context—while there had been indications of a slowdown in coal-fired electricity generation in 2024 and 2025, the demand for electricity remains substantial, and despite low CO2 emissions, coal infrastructure is seeing a revival. This, according to the report, suggests that China’s clean energy development may not be enough to alter its reliance on coal.
Some observers argue that the push for renewable energy in China could be a facade, obscuring the substantial fossil fuel consumption needed to support its industrial policies.
China also profits significantly from exporting solar, wind, and battery components. There is interest in showcasing projects to entice foreign buyers, although concerns have arisen about the presence of surveillance equipment in some of these solar panels.
CREA speculated that the surge in coal power plants might be a last-ditch effort ahead of China’s target to peak carbon emissions by 2030. This suggests a strategic emphasis on gradually reducing coal dependency, provided that renewable energy can meet any new electricity demand.
In June 2025, coal’s share in electricity generation dipped to a nine-year low of 51%, while renewables accounted for 60% of total installation capacity. Still, the report highlights the ongoing trend of diminishing coal use, though it warns against artificially ramping up coal production in response to energy demands.
Despite pledges in 2022 to limit coal use, CREA noted that meaningful integration of renewable energy remains elusive. It appears increasingly doubtful that China will phase out the new coal plants currently under construction.
The report found no indications of slowing coal construction, revealing that China burned an extraordinary amount of coal in the first half of the year, commissioning more coal power capacity than at any point since 2015. This increase stems from a rush to activate 100 gigawatts of coal generation approved in 2022 and 2023.
Christine Shearer, co-author of the report, remarked that China’s coal development shows no signs of decrease and remains firmly established within the energy system. Furthermore, the coal sector hasn’t indicated any impending mitigation in the coming years.
In a related note, Chinese leader Xi Jinping had vowed in 2021 to remove at least 30 gigawatts of coal from the grid between 2020 and 2025. However, so far, only one gigawatt has actually been taken offline.
Shearer co-authored an article that highlighted that while some regions globally are moving toward cleaner energy, both China and India continue to dominate new coal power installations. Together, they account for 87% of the new coal capacity added in the first half of 2025.
The piece criticized the previous U.S. administration for lacking clean energy leadership but noted that the current U.S. is set to phase out more coal capacity in 2025 than was achieved under last year’s Biden administration.
In Europe, most countries have halted constructions of new coal-fired power plants, with no new projects approved since 2018, indicating a significant reliance on natural gas to replace coal. This situation raises questions about meeting the gradual coal phase-out commitments made under the Paris Climate Agreement.
