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Opinion
Why it makes sense for green-tech exporter China to ramp up coal power
A domestic ‘coal cushion’ ensures grid stability so China can keep exporting solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles at scale
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Riaz Khokhar is a political science graduate from the University of Gothenburg and a former research officer at the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and an Asia studies visiting fellow at the East-West Centre in Washington.
China switched on 21 gigawatts of new coal power capacity in the first half of this year, the highest since 2016, according to a recent energy report. This came after electricity demand hit a historic high in July, driven by extreme heatwaves. Hydropower faltered, and coal plants were fired up to meet the load.
At first glance, this looks like a step backwards for climate policy. But China’s clean-energy engine is still accelerating, adding 212GW of solar power capacity in the first six months, more than double the same period last year.
So why the coal? The answer lies in grid stability. China is adding wind and solar energy so fast that the grid can’t always absorb the power.
In the first half, “curtailment” – clean power that’s generated but can’t be used – rose by 6.6 per cent for solar power and 5.7 per cent for wind power. At the same time, droughts reduced hydropower output, so during peak summer demand, the system leaned on coal to keep the lights on.
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