China may ban construction of new coal-fired power plants
In April, China agreed to suspend the construction of 110 gigawatts of proposed coal-based energy capacity and retire coal plants worth 70 gigawatts by 2020. Yet, according to Greenpeace, Chinese coal projects adding 165 gigawatts of energy could get permits in coming years, despite new limits. Chinese wind and hydropower industries have already complained of the country’s overcapacity of coal production damaging their development, making it more difficult for China to reach its goal of deriving 20% of its energy from renewables by 2030.

BEIJING — The Chinese government is trying to slow down the approval of new coal-fired power plants because of overcapacity, but projects already in the pipeline, as well as loopholes in policy, mean China is on track to add an average of one new coal-fired plant a week until 2020, according to a report released on Wednesday by Greenpeace East Asia.

The construction boom would result in about 400 gigawatts of excess capacity and would waste more than one trillion renminbi, or $150 billion, on building unneeded plants, the report said.

China now has 910 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity and is expected to retire 70 gigawatts of that. The new construction means the country would increase capacity at a time when additional coal-fired power is not needed, Greenpeace said.