Coal power rose by 9.0% in 2021 to a new all-time high and 2% above the previous record set in 2018. It was the biggest percentage rise on record since at least 1985, taking coal generation to 36% of global electricity. Records were set throughout Asia, including in China (+9%), India (+11%), Kazakhstan (+6%), Mongolia (+13%), Pakistan (+8%), the Philippines (+8%) and most likely Indonesia (data not yet available). In 2021, coal power in the U.S., EU and Japan strongly rebounded compared to 2020, but remained below 2019 levels.
China’s share of global coal power rose from 50% in 2019 to 54% in 2021. It’s importing more coal, including about 15% more from Russia in the first two months of 2022. Its coal mining capacity grew more in the final three months of 2021 than all the coal produced in Western Europe. The latest Five Year Plan for the energy sector makes it clear coal will be a mainstay of the country’s electricity mix for a while.
https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-review-2022/
www.nytimes.com/2022/04/19/climate/china-greenhouse-emissions-climate.html