BOOM AND BUST 2022

The report finds that while many countries are committing to end coal power, global capacity increased by 18.2 GW in 2021, driven primarily by China. While OECD countries and several non-OECD nations are cancelling projects, China's continued expansion and the use of unproven 'clean coal' technologies in some developed nations hinder alignment with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target.

• Global coal power capacity grew by 18.2 GW in 2021, with 45 GW of new capacity commissioned and 26.8 GW closed. China accounted for 56% of these new additions.
• China is the primary driver of global coal expansion, starting construction on 33 GW of new capacity in 2021, which is nearly three times the total of the rest of the world combined.
• The European Union achieved a record closure of 12.9 GW of coal capacity in 2021, with significant contributions from Germany (5.8 GW), Portugal (1.9 GW), and Spain (1.7 GW). Portugal became coal-free in November 2021.
• Following COP26, the number of coal plants effectively scheduled for closure nearly doubled to 750 plants (550 GW). However, only 180 GW of OECD capacity is scheduled for closure by 2030, and less than 10% of non-OECD capacity is scheduled for closure by 2050.
• Public financing for new coal power is largely ending globally after G20 members, including Japan, South Korea, and China, committed to stop international support. China's pledge to not build new coal projects abroad puts 56 projects (52.8 GW) at risk of cancellation.
• The report argues that 'clean coal' and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies are often used as a distraction to extend the life of old plants, despite being expensive and largely ineffective.
• In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are the dominant coal users. Indonesia's operating capacity increased by 9% to 40.1 GW in 2021, while Vietnam has 20.1 GW in the pre-construction phase.
• India has seen a nearly 90% drop in pre-construction coal capacity from 2015 to 2021, falling from 238.6 GW to 23.8 GW, though it still has 31.3 GW under construction.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2022). BOOM AND BUST 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_Indonesian_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. BOOM AND BUST 2022. 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_Indonesian_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=BOOM AND BUST 2022 |date=April 2022 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_Indonesian_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2022boom, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{BOOM AND BUST 2022}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/BoomAndBustCoalPlants_2022_Indonesian_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }