A new report says China’s power industry began construction on nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity last year, the most in nearly a decade.

China approved a record 66.7 GW of new coal-fired power capacity in 2024, despite significant growth in renewable energy installations, highlighting the ongoing challenge of transitioning away from coal.

China started construction on 94.5 gigawatts of coal-fired power in 2024, the highest volume of new builds since 2015, hampering the country's transition away from fossil fuels, researchers said in a report published on Thursday.

China’s coal plant construction surged last year to the highest level in almost a decade, conflicting with President Xi Jinping’s promise that carbon emissions would peak before 2030, researchers have said.