BOOM AND BUST COAL 2022

The report 'Boom and Bust Coal 2022' tracks the global coal plant pipeline, highlighting a stark divergence between China's continued expansion and a broader global trend toward phasing out coal. While COP26 commitments significantly increased the number of plants with phase-out dates, China's surge in new construction and the persistence of 'clean coal' narratives in some OECD countries challenge the 1.5 degree Celsius warming target.

• Global coal capacity increased by 18.2 GW in 2021, driven primarily by China, which commissioned 25.2 GW of new capacity, representing 56% of global additions. This growth nearly offset the 25.6 GW of coal plant retirements in the rest of the world.
• China's coal construction accelerated in 2021, with 33 GW of new plants starting construction, the highest level since 2016 and nearly three times the total of the rest of the world combined. China now accounts for over half of the world's coal capacity under development (55% or 251 GW).
• Commitments made around COP26 nearly doubled the number of coal plants with effective close-by dates to 750 plants (550 GW). Only 5% of the current operating fleet (170 plants or 89 GW) is not covered by a phase-out date or carbon neutrality target.
• International public financing for new coal plants has effectively ceased following pledges from the G20, including China, Japan, and South Korea. China's pledge to not build new coal-fired power projects abroad puts 56 overseas plants (52.8 GW) at risk of cancellation.
• The European Union's 27 member states retired a record 12.9 GW of coal capacity in 2021, led by Germany (5.8 GW), Portugal (1.9 GW), and Spain (1.7 GW). Portugal became coal-free in November 2021.
• In the United States, coal retirements declined for the second consecutive year to an estimated 6.4 GW to 9 GW in 2021. To meet climate goals, the U.S. needs to retire an average of 25 GW annually through 2030.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and other 'clean coal' technologies are described as expensive and ineffective distractions. Examples include the Petra Nova project in the U.S., which went offline in May 2020, and the Boundary Dam plant in Canada, which was offline for over half of 2021.
• South and Southeast Asia represent 65% of pre-construction coal proposals outside China. While some countries like Sri Lanka and Cambodia have committed to no new coal, significant proposals remain in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Laos.
• India's pre-construction coal capacity decreased by nearly 90% from 2015 to 2021, falling to 23.8 GW. However, it still has 31.3 GW under construction and few plants with firm retirement dates.
• In Latin America, coal development is declining, with a 70% drop in capacity under development since 2015. Chile is planning a total coal exit by 2040, and Panama is retiring its dirtiest plants by 2023.
• To align with the IPCC 1.5 degree pathway, the world must cancel or retire an additional 1,100 GW of capacity: 500 GW in China, 340 GW in the OECD, and 200 GW in the rest of the world.
• South Africa's coal capacity is the largest in Africa and the Middle East, representing 76% of the region's operating capacity at 43.4 GW. The country launched a Just Energy Transition Partnership in November 2021 with an initial US$8.5 billion in climate finance.
• Turkey remains a significant outlier in the OECD, accounting for 74% of the group's coal proposals and ranking as the sixth-biggest coal capacity under development globally.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2022). BOOM AND BUST COAL 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_English_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. BOOM AND BUST COAL 2022. 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_English_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=BOOM AND BUST COAL 2022 |date=April 2022 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_English_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2022boom, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{BOOM AND BUST COAL 2022}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_English_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }