A new report says China’s power industry began construction on nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity last year, the most in nearly a decade.

China started construction on 94.5 gigawatts of coal-fired power in 2024, the highest volume of new builds since 2015, hampering the country's transition away from fossil fuels, researchers said in a report published on Thursday.

China approved a record 66.7 GW of new coal-fired power capacity in 2024, despite significant growth in renewable energy installations, highlighting the ongoing challenge of transitioning away from coal.

China began construction last year on projects with the greatest combined coal power capacity since 2015, jeopardizing its goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030, according to a report published on Thursday.

China’s coal plant construction surged last year to the highest level in almost a decade, conflicting with President Xi Jinping’s promise that carbon emissions would peak before 2030, researchers have said.