Coal Electricity Generation In China

China s electric power industry is the world s largest electricity producer passing the united states in 2011 after rapid growth since the early 1990s.

Coal electricity generation in china.

China is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world and is the largest user of coal derived electricity. These companies that own and operate china s coal fleet are already facing financial losses thanks to increasing competition from renewables market reforms and overcapacity in the sector. Wang et al 2017. Coal fired electricity production declined from 2013 to 2016 coinciding with a major boom in renewable energy and a decline.

Coal fired electricity dominates with a share of 72 in 2016 the national grid and coal fired electricity generation is responsible for 30 of co 2 33 of no x 23 of so 2 8 of particulate matter pm and 3 of co emissions in china leading to severe threats to air quality and human health huang et al 2017. Most of the electricity in china comes from coal which accounted for 66 of the electricity generation mix in 2016. China is involved in 15 coal power plants in operation six under construction and. Coal fired electricity generation in china the world s largest coal consumer is expected to remain flat through 2040 according to eia s international energy outlook 2017 ieo2017.

Other fuels such as renewables natural gas and nuclear power are expected to make up increasing shares of china s electricity generation. Indeed coal powered electricity generation in china has flatlined despite the explosive growth in the number of coal plants. In 2019 us coal generation fell by a record 18 to the lowest level since 1975 marking the end of a decade in which electricity output from the fuel was cut in half. Some 74 of us coal plants have higher operating costs than the price of building new renewables nearby according to march 2019 analysis from energy innovation a thinktank.

Government officials and state owned energy enterprises in china are currently debating another wave of coal power investment despite a severely diminished business case for the technology. Overall electricity consumption continued to rise in the 2010s and new coal fired power plants were constructed to help meet demand. In neighboring vietnam a country highly dependent on coal china is a major investor in the energy sector.