China is the
largest manufacturer,
developer and investor
in advanced renewable
energy technologies.
Meanwhile, China is
pumping investment
funds into coal plants
at home, and overseas.
Li Fulong, director of
development planning
of the National Energy
Administration, said:
“We have developed
clean and efficient coal-fired
generating units, that have
large capacity, high energy
efficiency and low pollution
emissions”.
China doesn't want to exit
from the Paris Agreement,
like the US did under Trump,
but they don't seem to be
trying to meet its goals.
With all the air pollution
in their cities, China needs
less coal use.
But new coal plants,
after 'cease construction'
orders in January 2017,
have been quietly approved.
The huge Mengneng Xilin
Thermal Power Plant’s
third unit, expected to
deliver 700 megawatts
of power, was ordered
to cease construction
in January 2017.
Earlier this month ,
at least three large,
new coal-fired power
stations appeared
to be operating, or
under construction
in Inner Mongolia
in northern China,
including
Mengneng Xilin !
Mengmeng Xilin quietly
restarted construction,
and is now in operation. !
Huaneng North Victory
Thermal Power Plant
is due to start operating
this month, generating
more than 1,000
megawatts of power.
Xilinhot’s Datang Power
Plant is expected to finish
construction, and provide
up to 1,320 MW, despite
being on the list of power
stations put on hold.
Satellite images show
there was a brief pause
of construction in 2017,
but then the construction
of all three suspended
plants resumed.
A 2019 report by the
Institute for Energy
Economics and Financial
Analysis found that
Chinese companies
were helping, or
promising to finance,
at least one in four
newly-constructed
CO2 fossil fuel
power plants globally.
China is the world’s
largest producer and
consumer of coal,
far outstripping
the United States,
India and Australia.
In 2018,
China sourced
59% of its energy
from coal, and 22%
from gas, nuclear
power and renewable
energy.
China pledged to reduce
its reliance on coal to 58%
in 2020, from 59% in 2018,
and continue ramping up
its renewable energy
to a target of 20% by 2030.
According to Climate Action
Tracker, China’s carbon
emissions rose by about
2.3% in 2018, the second
consecutive year of
CO2 emissions growth
( after CO2 emissions
growth appeared to stall
between 2014 and 2016. )