Boom and Bust Coal 2025

The 'Boom and Bust Coal 2025' report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal power trends in 2024, highlighting a paradox where global new capacity reached a 20-year low while China and India saw record-breaking construction and proposals. The report specifically details Indonesia's struggle with 'captive' coal plants and the complexities of its energy transition goals.

• In 2024, the world recorded the lowest new coal-fired power plant capacity in two decades, totaling 44 gigawatts (GW), which is nearly 30 GW lower than the 2004–2024 annual average of 72 GW.
• Despite the global low, there was a net increase in the global coal fleet of 18.8 GW because new capacity (44 GW) exceeded retired capacity (25.2 GW).
• China and India dominated new coal developments in 2024, together accounting for 92% of all newly proposed global coal capacity (107 GW out of 116 GW). China saw its highest number of construction starts since 2015 with 94 GW, while India recorded a record 38 GW in new proposals.
• The European Union (EU27) saw coal plant retirements increase fourfold from 2.7 GW in 2023 to 11 GW in 2024, with Germany contributing the most at 6.7 GW. The United Kingdom became the sixth country to fully phase out coal since the 2015 Paris Agreement by closing its last coal plant.
• In Indonesia, while proposed coal capacity dropped 90% from 49.7 GW in 2015 to 4.9 GW in 2024, there has been a surge in 'captive' coal plants for energy-intensive industries. Captive plants accounted for over 80% of Indonesia's 1.9 GW in new capacity in 2024, and operating captive capacity grew from 5.5 GW in 2019 to 16.6 GW in 2024.
• Indonesia's national energy plan (Rencana Ketenagalistrikan Nasional 2024–2060) outlines the addition of 26.7 GW of coal capacity over the next seven years, with 75% being captive plants, contradicting the goal of net-zero carbon by 2060.
• The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in Indonesia faced setbacks in early 2025 when the United States withdrew under the second Trump administration, with Germany and Japan replacing the US as lead partners.
• Indonesia's coal production reached a record 831 million tons in 2024, which is 17% above the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) target and represents an 82% increase compared to 2016.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2025). Boom and Bust Coal 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Boom-and-Bust-Coal-2025-Indonesian_3.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. Boom and Bust Coal 2025. 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Boom-and-Bust-Coal-2025-Indonesian_3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=Boom and Bust Coal 2025 |date=April 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Boom-and-Bust-Coal-2025-Indonesian_3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2025boom, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{Boom and Bust Coal 2025}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Boom-and-Bust-Coal-2025-Indonesian_3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }