China-driven coal power: lessons from Zimbabwe and Indonesia

The document analyzes the Jawa-7 project in Indonesia and the Hwange Expansion Project in Zimbabwe. It finds that while Indonesia's more robust regulatory framework and the use of ultra-supercritical technology limited some environmental impacts, Zimbabwe's lack of transparency and reliance on sub-critical technology led to severe pollution and community displacement. Both cases highlight a tension between national desires to exploit domestic coal reserves and international climate commitments, as well as persistent governance issues and a lack of transparency associated with Chinese-led infrastructure lending.

• The Jawa-7 project in Indonesia utilizes advanced 'clean coal technology', including ultra-supercritical turbines that increase efficiency by 15% and a seawater desulphurisation technique to limit emissions. However, these measures exist alongside a national policy environment where coal-fired plants are estimated to cause 7,100 premature deaths annually.
• The Hwange Expansion Project in Zimbabwe employs sub-critical technology, which has a significantly worse environmental impact than the technology used in Jawa-7. The project lacks a publicly available comprehensive environmental impact assessment, leading to a 'low-information and low-trust environment'.
• Environmental degradation in Hwange is exacerbated by the surrounding coal economy, including an open-cast mine that causes pervasive dust pollution and acidifies groundwater. Some underground coal seams are reported to be on fire, posing risks to villagers and workers.
• Socio-economic mitigation in Zimbabwe has been inadequate; the project manager for the Hwange expansion admitted that the estimated $60 million required to relocate 480 households in Ingagula village was not included in the original project budget.
• Both projects face governance and transparency challenges. Jawa-7 was scrutinized by the Indonesian House of Representatives and an anti-monopoly agency over its tender process, while the Hwange project is linked to allegations of financial misconduct, including a forensic audit accusing a former head of Hwange Colliery Company of misusing a $115.5 million loan.
• Despite China's 2021 announcement to stop building coal plants overseas, both the Indonesian and Zimbabwean governments have been driven by a political will to exploit domestic coal reserves, often influenced by the financial interests of policymakers in the coal sector.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2021). China-driven coal power: lessons from Zimbabwe and Indonesia. https://saiia.org.za/research/china-driven-coal-power-lessons-from-zimbabwe-and-indonesia/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. China-driven coal power: lessons from Zimbabwe and Indonesia. 2021. https://saiia.org.za/research/china-driven-coal-power-lessons-from-zimbabwe-and-indonesia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=China-driven coal power: lessons from Zimbabwe and Indonesia |date=15 December 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/china-driven-coal-power-lessons-from-zimbabwe-and-indonesia/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2021chinadriven, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{China-driven coal power: lessons from Zimbabwe and Indonesia}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/china-driven-coal-power-lessons-from-zimbabwe-and-indonesia/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }