China’s coal fleet increasing in efficiency

• 6 years ago (2017-05-23)
• David Flin

Asia 846 Coal 274

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China is closing down older coal plants, and the newer ones are highly efficient, with the country investing heavily in the most efficient coal technologies. According to a report from the Centre for American Progress (CAP), the new plants under construction in China are dramatically more efficient than anything operating in the USA.

China’s operating coal plants will have to meet very high standards by 2020.

The CAP report states: “We found that China’s coal sector is undergoing a massive transformation that extends from the mines to the power plants. The country is on track to over-deliver on the emissions reduction commitments it put forward under the Paris climate agreement, and making coal cleaner is an integral part of the process.” The report found that 90 out of 100 of China’s most efficient coal plants are ultra-supercritical, operating at temperatures over 1400°F and pressures above 5000 psi.

According to the report, Beijing expects its coal sector to shed 1.3 million workers between 2016 and 2020. Meanwhile, 13 million new jobs in the renewable energy sector are likely to be created in China by 2020.