China put 21 gigawatts (GW) of coal power online in the first six months of 2025, the highest six-month level in nine years. New construction and re-firing of existing coal plants total 46 GW, with proposed projects adding about 75 GW and total projected coal plant output forecast between 80–100 GW in 2025. Coal accounts for half of China’s energy production, down from about three-quarters in 2016. Solar capacity jumped by 212 GW in the first six months of 2025, and China is on track to add 500 GW of wind and solar in 2025 alone. Six-month emissions fell about 1% year-on-year, but rising coal use threatens emissions reductions.
China put 21 gigawatts (GW) of coal power online in the first six months of 2025. That is the highest six-month level in nine years. The CREA/GEM report also cites new construction and re-firing of existing coal plants totaling 46 GW and proposed projects with the capacity to produce a further 75 GW. Total projected coal plant output is forecast to hit between 80-100 GW in 2025.
Solar capacity, for instance, jumped by 212 GW in the first six months of 2025. This year alone, the country is on track to install enough new renewable energy to cover the energy needs of Germany and the UK combined. Germany, according to its Federal Network Agency, added roughly 20 GW of renewables to its grid in 2024, bringing its total to 190. China will add 500 GW in new wind and solar power in 2025 alone.
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