China burned more coal at power plants between January and July of 2025 than at any time since 2016, despite massive renewable capacity, according to new environmental research report.
The report — published by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Finland-based independent air-quality research organization; and Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a US-based energy analytics company — says 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.
Coal currently accounts for half of China‘s energy production, down from three-quarters in 2016.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, is also the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter.
China installing enormous amounts of renewables, sinking overall emissions
Paradoxically, this spike in coal use takes place as China massively expands its renewable capacity, which now covers growth in electricity demand. 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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Beijing’s push has led to a 1% drop in six-month emissions year-on-year, according to the UK-based climate and energy website Carbon Brief, yet China’s increased reliance on coal threatens to derail its pursuit of gas emissions reductions.
“Despite a rapidly changing capacity and generation mix, coal power construction in China shows no sign of easing,” wrote CREA.
“Coal power development in China… shows no sign of easing, leaving emissions on a high plateau and stranding coal in the system for years to come,” echoed Christine Shearer, research analyst at GEM and co-author of the report.
