A globally connected network of solar and wind energy could provide three times the global energy demand by 2050 at a lower cost than independent national power systems. This is the finding of a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in collaboration with researchers from the United States and Denmark.
The study focused on how areas with high solar and wind capacity (such as deserts) can be linked ...
Category: Coal Power
Philippine Fishers Struggle as China-Funded Coal Projects Expand
Canopies of old trees, a port, and a solar farm came into view as the air-conditioned bus approached Mariveles town in Bataan province. Within minutes, after traversing a tree-lined, well-paved road, the bus reached its destination: the freeport area of Bataan, ...
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, along with other key markets in ASEAN. While ...
China’s Role in Indonesia’s Coal-Powered Industry Poses Challenge to Prabowo’s Green Goals
Indonesia’s energy transition strategy has sparked debate after conflicting statements from top officials about the future of coal power. While President Prabowo Subianto recently announced, at the G20 summit in Brazil, an ambitious plan to cease all coal and fossil fuel ...
To Speed Up Coal Plant Retirement, Policymakers Need to Better Understand the Costs and Benefits
By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary and Kevin P. Gallagher Coal-fired power plants will have to be rapidly phased down to meet the Paris Agreement targets and avoid the catastrophic costs of inaction on climate change. At ...
Coal-Free Future: A Diary From China-Indonesia Energy Field Trip
Do you remember when the weather was small talk? It used to be a conversation you would have with a stranger at the bus stop, perhaps about the imminent rain or how unusually hot today is before it became quiet again and your ride arrived.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Indonesia May Be Wasting Its Ties With China and Climate Partnership Full Potentials
We are still six months away from the official presidential inauguration. Still, China has already invited Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto to visit Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person. During the visit, Prabowo reiterated his promise to continue Jokowi's development model, including partnerships with China. ...
China’s Potential as a Reliable Partner for Coal Plant Phase-Down in Africa
By Niccolò Manych and Tsitsi Musasike The future of the electricity system lies in renewables, both globally and in Africa. Although a green energy transition has multiple benefits for African nations, many continue to ...
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 in limbo. If built, they would produce 245 ...
Chinese Company Expands Footprint in South Africa’s Energy Sector With New Solar Project
One of China’s biggest companies, the Fortune 500-listed PowerChina, is establishing itself among energy sector players seeking to offer solutions to the crippling blackouts predicted to last until 2027 in South Africa. The country is seeking to transition to ...
China Funded Many Coal Plants Around the World. Retiring Them Early Could Be a Bargain
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. ...
How China’s Overseas Coal Plants in South and Southeast Asia Can be Retired Early
By Alex Clark Chinese public financial institutions have financed almost 40 gigawatts of coal-fired power generation capacity outside China in the last decade. These coal plants, located predominantly in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Pakistan, as shown below, and with an average ...
A Chinese-Backed Solar Project in Lesotho Highlights Beijing’s New “Small is Beautiful” Infrastructure Development Strategy in Africa
Some 71 kilometers south of Lesotho’s capital Maseru, the new Mafeteng Solar Power Plant Project generates some 30MW of electricity that could easily power 30,000 homes running household appliances like a fridge, a TV, an electric cooker and a number of lights while also supporting some ...