Chinese
provinces approved more new coal power plants in the first three months of this
year than in all of 2021, as Beijing continues a rapid expansion of fossil fuel
generation capacity in an effort to guarantee reliable electricity supplies.
Provincial governments gave the green light to at least 20.5 gigawatts of new
coal in the first quarter, topping the 18.5 gigawatts for all of 2021,
Greenpeace said in a new research report. Approvals began to soar last year, to
at least 90.7 gigawatts, after a series of economy-crippling power shortages,
according to the study.
Greenpeace’s report is the latest in a series of research findings and industry
comments highlighting Beijing’s plan to rely on its mainstay fuel as a backstop
for reliable and affordable power amid rising global fuel prices and the
development of intermittent renewable generation. The government is also
leaning on miners to boost coal output to record levels to avoid a reliance on
foreign supplies.
“The 2022 coal boom has clearly continued into this year,” said Xie Wenwen,
Greenpeace East Asia climate and energy campaigner. Reasons given by
governments in approval documents included ensuring safe energy supply, meeting
heating demand and stimulating local economic development, Xie said.
via climate science
April 25, 2023 at 06:14PM
Iowa Climate Science Education 