According to a new study, China, the world’s largest polluter, awarded permits for 106 gigawatts of coal-powered projects across 82 areas in 2022 alone. That is the biggest amount in the previous seven years and demonstrates the over-dependence on fossil fuels on the part of the top emitter in the world.
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an Organization with a base in Finland, and the Global Energy Monitor, another NGO that monitors fossil fuel infrastructure, undertook the study.
The investigation revealed that the Politburo in Beijing moved admirably quickly through each stage of the process, from project approval to financing to breaking ground to beginning construction.
Compared to 2021, coal power capacity across China went up by more than half to 50 gigawatts. The main aim of the new plants is to provide stability to the power grid and minimise the chances of a complete blackout.
The drastic increase in coal-powered projects was necessitated after Chinese cities suffered blackouts in September 2021. The problems were compounded last year when severe droughts dried up water bodies, leading to a dramatic drop in hydropower generation.
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