China to Decelerate Expansion of Coal Power Capacity

By 2020, China’s coal power capacity will stay below 1.1 billion kW, and coal consumption will fall to 310 g/kWh, as detailed in Opinions on Propelling Supply-Side Reform to Prevent and Relieve Risks from Excess Coal Power Capacity, issued recently by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and 15 other national departments.
One hundred and fifty million kW of coal planned power plants are to be shut down or postponed during 2016-2020 according to the document, which also calls for decommissioning outdated capacity of more than 20 million kW by 2020. Further, 420 million kW of qualified coal power units will be upgraded for ultra-low emissions. Some units will be transformed to become more energy-efficient or flexible – involving 340 million kW and 220 million kW, respectively.
The document specifies many other coal cleanup measures. First, unqualified coal power units (below 300 000 kW) will be eliminated in accordance with rules regarding environmental protection, energy consumption, safety and technologies. Second, illegal coal power plants will be shut down. Third, capacity expansion will be strictly controlled, and qualified coal power units will be upgraded by 2017 in East China, by 2018 in Central China and by 2020 in West China. Fourth, the government will disallow construction of coal-fired power plants excluded in the nation’s plans or located in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.