• China added 21 gigawatts (GW) of coal power in six months, the highest in almost a decade.
• India commissioned 5.1 GW of new coal plants and has 92 GW of proposals pending. Despite rapid renewable energy growth, both countries continue to rely heavily on coal for energy security.
• Meanwhile, Europe and Latin America are phasing out coal entirely. This contrasting trend marks the complex global energy transition.
• China led global coal expansion by adding 21 GW of new capacity in six months, the largest increase since 2016.
• This surge is linked to the energy crisis of 2021-22, which pushed policymakers to prioritise coal to avoid power shortages.
• Despite the increase in coal plants, China’s carbon emissions fell by about 1% in early 2025 due to rapid growth in renewables like solar, wind, and hydropower.
• Many new coal plants serve as standby capacity, operating mainly during peak demand.