China halts construction of coal-fired power plants
China has announced that it is halting the construction of new coal-fired power stations in some areas of the country with other plants to be delayed until 2018 at the earliest. The decision could mean that up to 200 proposed coal-fired plants, capable of generating 105 gigawatts of power, will not be completed. The motivation for the move appears to be economic rather than purely environmental. The country’s economic downturn, combined with the fact that state-owned electricity companies are still building new coal-burning plants, has led to overcapacity. Some coal-burning plants are currently operating for just 40-50% of the time.

Coal-fired power plants have propelled much of China's economic rise for decades, helping make the nation the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Even with economic growth slackening, and other energy sources taking hold, new coal plants have been added.

Now Beijing is trying to slow things down.

China, by far the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, is aiming to reach a peak in carbon emissions by 2030. Credit: Getty Images

China halted plans for new coal-fired power stations in many parts of the country, and construction of some approved plants will be postponed until at least 2018.

The announcement, by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, means that about 200 planned coal-fired power generators - those seeking approval and those approved but not yet under construction - may not be completed, said Lauri Myllyvirta, who analyses China's energy production for Greenpeace.