Graphic charts China’s staggering programme of building coal-fired power plants.
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China’s monumental coal-fired power plant drive

By Ninian Carter

October 31, 2021 - November 12, 2021 - China continues to build coal-fired power plants to fuel its growing economy, at a rate that outpaces the rest of the world combined.

Coal lies at the heart of China’s industrial economy which includes mining, manufacturing, construction, and of course the creation of power.

In 2019, 58% of the country’s total energy consumption came from coal – explaining why China accounts for 28% of all global CO2 emissions.

China is building coal-fired power plants at a rate that outpaces the rest of the world combined. In 2020, China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation – three times what was brought online anywhere else on Earth.

Their continued reliance on coal highlights the gulf between a goal of building economic growth to improve living standards for 1.44 billion people, and a desire to cut CO2 emissions.

Whether China can flatten its carbon emissions in the next decade remains to be seen.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 15/10/2021; STORY: Graphic News
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