China Funded Many Coal Plants Around the World. Retiring Them Early Could Be a Bargain

Chinese funding for overseas coal capacity by country. The red bars indicate case study countries analyzed in the report. Image: Boston University Global Development Policy Center

China has funded about 39 GW of coal electricity around the world, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. If these plants continue operating until the end of their lifespans, they will breach 2040 carbon targets set by the International Energy Agency.

These plants also risk becoming stranded assets in the face of more stringent emissions regulations. This means that finding pathways to retiring them early is key, argues a new research report from the Boston University Global Development Policy Center.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Cobus van Staden

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator
5
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
6
Indonesia Begins $5.9 Billion Chinese EV Battery Project Despite Environment Fears

You Might Like

Why the G7’s Energy Offer to the Global South Could Backfire

2023 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded human history. The summer’s record heat waves, fires, and floods come as attempts by U.S. and Chinese lawmakers to restart talks about ...

Backgrounder: The Fine Print of China’s No-Coal Pledge

In 2021, China’s President Xi Jinping announced that China would stop funding and building coal-fired power plants overseas. After the announcement, Chinese companies canceled about forty coal power projects. However, a similar number are still ...

Indonesia’s Coal Production Hits Record in 2024, with China Driving the Growth

Indonesia’s coal production hit a new high in 2024, reaching 831.6 million tons, 17% above the target. This boost is largely thanks to strong demand from China, the world’s biggest coal importer, ...

ICBC Bails on Financing $3 Billion Sengwa Coal Power Plant in Zimbabwe

Environmental groups in Zimbabwe are celebrating the news that China’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), has decided not to fund the controversial $3 billion Sengwa ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP