Obsessing about Chinese coal power, and its imagined effect on air temperatures, doesn’t stop the same people doing the obsessing from buying Chinese products made using that power, such as wind turbines, batteries and solar panels.
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China ramped up coal power capacity last year, according to new analysis, despite a pledge to “strictly control” the dirtiest fossil fuel, says Sky News.
The country added 47.4 Gigawatts (GW) of new coal power in 2023, more than double the amount added by the rest of the world combined.
It raises concerns that gains in clean power, including by China, are being undermined by the persistent use of coal, the worst energy form for climate change and air pollution. [Talkshop comment – CO2 makes zero difference to air pollution].
On Wednesday the UN climate chief Simon Stiell said humanity has “two years to save the world”, as he sought to galvanise leaders to step up climate action.
Analysts say China may not use all the capacity it has built.
Beijing has promised to reduce coal consumption from 2026, and said its polices align with the international Paris Agreement on climate.
Meanwhile global coal capacity outside China increased for the first time since 2019, a trend Global Energy Monitor (GEM) called “concerning”.
. . .
China has recently built more solar power than the rest of the world combined, and is on track to meet a 2030 clean power goal five years early.
The surge is partly fuelled by power shortage fears after a 2022 drought shrivelled water supplies for China’s hydropower.
Full article here.
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Image: Coal-hungry China [credit: democraticunderground.com]
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
…. but but BUT I Believe that they are super efficient.…. so what’s the beef – when the West wants cheap products.
[…] New coal plants in China ‘soar’, dismaying climate worriers […]
“Analysts say China may not use all the capacity it has built.”
Perhaps this might have something to do with that.
Click to access jrc-report-link-2017.pdf
Another factor: [China] already has more coal power than it needs, said Ms Qin, but a rigid grid system makes it hard for provinces to share power, meaning many are building their own coal plants.
UK Electricity Rates Five Times Higher Than China’s Thanks To Net Zero
https://climatechangedispatch.com/uk-electricity-rates-five-times-higher-than-chinas-thanks-to-net-zero/
by Chris Morrison – 1 hour ago
Join the dots 🙄
You gotta ask yourself, what is wrong with coal-fired power stations? Technology used in China is super critical so very efficient, c.50%, and also have scrubbed stacks so the only emissions are carbon dioxide which is not a problem. WHat’s wrong with coal? Cleaner than bio fuelling. Cheaper than anything – except nuclear. etc.
Yessss, ( with a sigh ) You’d think that with Europe’s huge amount of wind generation capacity, that UK is only providing around 12GW tonight, …. So still not enough fish for the Heron, let alone for a flock of hungry Pelicans but despite all that, Why is the Climate NOT getting into order? Oh! I see, It’s not a variable like CVT gearbox – will tip UP or DOWN when, er , ermm, dunno … just there is little change here at all despite all these attempts: and as I’ve said before: IT IS ALL A GENERATIONAL THING: the older folk and those who look to see & Learn, have seen it all before ….
Ah! The Sky reporter asked Professor (net zero trouser) Foster for
opinion: Comment “worrying”. While the
rest of us worry what value we got from the £1m “Towards Zero Carbon Aviation”
grant to his Leeds University Climate Change Department. Seems to have come
from EPSRC where “Researchers can apply for funding opportunities to research
impact, engagement and the accelerating research outcomes to deliver
a prosperous net zero future – aims to accelerate economic, societal, policy,
and environmental benefits on the path to achieving net-zero emissions”. I
wonder how many other nebulous money troughs he has his snout in?