In 2021, China began building coal-fired power plants, with a total capacity of 33 gigawatts. These data are published in report Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA) and the American analytical center Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
China’s massive power plant project has exposed Beijing’s hypocrisy about its environmental commitments, which have begun to be abandoned in an attempt to prop up an economy hit by supply chain disruptions and coronavirus restrictions. The construction of power plants of this capacity has not been seen since 2016, which demonstrates the country’s desire to return to fossil fuels due to concerns about the state of the economy. The report notes that “in line with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, there is no room for these new capacities to be used.” New power plants could leave China with $90-130 billion worth of assets that will no longer be profitable amid the need to transform the energy sector in order to achieve climate goals.
The issuance of new permits for the construction of coal-fired power plants was suspended in 2021, but resumed in 2022, according to the study. In the first six weeks of the year, construction of five projects with a total capacity of 7.3 gigawatts was approved.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping said in January that China’s goals to reduce carbon emissions should not come at the expense of energy and food security or the “normal life” of ordinary people. Reuters. The State Grid Corporation of China said the country will begin to reduce coal consumption from 2026, and before that, it is likely to commission coal-fired power plants with a capacity of another 150 gigawatts.
China, which plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, is not the first time it has been accused of failing to comply with its environmental obligations. Earlier it became known that the country’s statement about the carbon neutrality of the Winter Olympics turned out to be a marketing ploy. In reality, China simply bought carbon credits that did little to reduce emissions during the Games.
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