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How many coal plants is China firing up this year? I lost track

99_00 5y ago
And more in the future. >It now has 97.8 GW of coal-fired power under construction, and another 151.8 GW at the planning stage. https://www.reuters.com/article/china-coal-idUSL4N2E20HS https://www.reuters.com/article/china-coal-idUSL4N2E20HS
- glogla 5y ago
  Hopefully they reevaluate that, since they already have coal shortages for the coal plants they already have.
  - 99_00 5y ago
    What would they use instead? Coal power is an input into solar panels. Solar Power May Be the Next Victim of China’s Coal Shortage >Prices of silicon metal, used to make the material that comprises solar panels, have surged about 300% since the start of August after a top-producing province ordered production be slashed amid a power crunch. https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/china-slashes-silicon-output-signaling-higher-solar-panel-costs https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/china-slashes-silico...
vkou 5y ago
Since you've lost track: China added a net 29.8 GW of coal power to its grid in 2020. (~35 GW added, ~6 GW decomissioned) It also added a net 71.6 GW of wind power, 48.2 GW of solar power. It's also adding ~6 GW of nuclear power/per year.
- melling 5y ago
  “ China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, generates one thousand gigawatts of coal power domestically, accounting for over half of the globe's total and more than four times that of the second- and third-largest users (India)” Sounds like a big problem
  - vkou 5y ago
    China's per capita emissions are lower than the developed world [1], and most of India lives in absolute poverty. Are you advocating for each country receiving the exact same emissions cap, disregarding population? Or do you think its fair for billions of people to remain in absolute poverty, while a few hundred million in the developed world pollute four times more than their fair share? [1] Not to mention that much of the developed world's pollution is outsourced to China. Where do you think all the consumer goods you use are made?
    - melling 5y ago
      Yes, 1.2 billion people need a lot of energy. India has another 1.3 billion. They’re going to need more power too. Coal? I agree that 340 million Americans need to reduce emissions. Coal is now 20% of electricity. We seem to be waiting for renewables and batteries. Globally, 40% of electricity comes from coal. At the end of the day, if we use all that coal for much longer, we are going to have a big problem
      - ClumsyPilot 5y ago
        "Americans need to reduce emissions. Coal is now 20% of electricity." Currently each American produces twice the emission each Chinese or French does
      - vkou 5y ago
        > we are going to have a big problem Yes, we will. We need to tax the hell out of it, and tariff any country that does not institute an equivalent tax. But we'd rather grouse about foreign use of coal, rather than install a tax - because any such tax, at the moment, would hurt us[1] a lot more than it hurts them. [1] Well, some of us.
    - vimy 5y ago
      You’re right, it’s not fair but at the same time climate doesn’t care about per capita. Also, 87 % of Chinese emissions are attributable to domestic needs and production. The only solution is geo-engineering and carbon capture. The Western world wants to lower emissions but it won’t matter because the majority comes from the developing world. And they want to keep growing, rightly so, negating the lower emissions from the West. Thus we are left with only technical solutions.
- joemazerino 5y ago
  29.8 is much less than stated in various outlets [1]. Where did you get that number from? 1: https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/commentary-china-is-building-184-coal-plants-guess-what-that-will-do-to-carbon-emissions/ https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/commentary-china-is-buil...

And more in the future. >It now has 97.8 GW of coal-fired power under construction, and another 151.8 GW at the planning stage. https://www.reuters.com/article/china-coal-idUSL4N2E20HS https://www.reuters.com/article/china-coal-idUSL4N2E20HS

glogla 5y ago
Hopefully they reevaluate that, since they already have coal shortages for the coal plants they already have.
- 99_00 5y ago
  What would they use instead? Coal power is an input into solar panels. Solar Power May Be the Next Victim of China’s Coal Shortage >Prices of silicon metal, used to make the material that comprises solar panels, have surged about 300% since the start of August after a top-producing province ordered production be slashed amid a power crunch. https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/china-slashes-silicon-output-signaling-higher-solar-panel-costs https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/china-slashes-silico...

vkou 5y ago

Since you've lost track: China added a net 29.8 GW of coal power to its grid in 2020. (~35 GW added, ~6 GW decomissioned) It also added a net 71.6 GW of wind power, 48.2 GW of solar power. It's also adding ~6 GW of nuclear power/per year.

melling 5y ago
“ China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, generates one thousand gigawatts of coal power domestically, accounting for over half of the globe's total and more than four times that of the second- and third-largest users (India)” Sounds like a big problem
- vkou 5y ago
  China's per capita emissions are lower than the developed world [1], and most of India lives in absolute poverty. Are you advocating for each country receiving the exact same emissions cap, disregarding population? Or do you think its fair for billions of people to remain in absolute poverty, while a few hundred million in the developed world pollute four times more than their fair share? [1] Not to mention that much of the developed world's pollution is outsourced to China. Where do you think all the consumer goods you use are made?
  - melling 5y ago
    Yes, 1.2 billion people need a lot of energy. India has another 1.3 billion. They’re going to need more power too. Coal? I agree that 340 million Americans need to reduce emissions. Coal is now 20% of electricity. We seem to be waiting for renewables and batteries. Globally, 40% of electricity comes from coal. At the end of the day, if we use all that coal for much longer, we are going to have a big problem
    - ClumsyPilot 5y ago
      "Americans need to reduce emissions. Coal is now 20% of electricity." Currently each American produces twice the emission each Chinese or French does
    - vkou 5y ago
      > we are going to have a big problem Yes, we will. We need to tax the hell out of it, and tariff any country that does not institute an equivalent tax. But we'd rather grouse about foreign use of coal, rather than install a tax - because any such tax, at the moment, would hurt us[1] a lot more than it hurts them. [1] Well, some of us.
  - vimy 5y ago
    You’re right, it’s not fair but at the same time climate doesn’t care about per capita. Also, 87 % of Chinese emissions are attributable to domestic needs and production. The only solution is geo-engineering and carbon capture. The Western world wants to lower emissions but it won’t matter because the majority comes from the developing world. And they want to keep growing, rightly so, negating the lower emissions from the West. Thus we are left with only technical solutions.
joemazerino 5y ago
29.8 is much less than stated in various outlets [1]. Where did you get that number from? 1: https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/commentary-china-is-building-184-coal-plants-guess-what-that-will-do-to-carbon-emissions/ https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/commentary-china-is-buil...