Installed coal plant capacity in select countries 2020
This statistic shows the installed capacity of coal power plants in selected countries as of January 2020. China was the country with the highest installed capacity of coal power plants, amounting to almost 1,005 gigawatts.
Coal power plant capacity worldwide – additional information
While the amount of electricity generated from coal has declined in recent years, in part due to the rising accessibility of renewable energy, the coal power industry has continued to build new coal-fired generation plants at a rapid pace. The global installed coal power generation capacity is projected to be on the rise over the next decade and predicted to reach a capacity of over 2.2 terawatts in 2050. As of 2019, China had the highest installed capacity from its coal power plants, amounting to about 1,005 gigawatts in total. The United States came in a distant second with over 246 gigawatts of coal power plant capacity, followed by India at about 229 gigawatts.
Worldwide, about 200 gigawatts of new coal capacity was under construction in 2019 and about 300 gigawatts were in various stages of planning. However, the capacity of the coal plant pipeline has decreased over the last few years. These announced coal power plants around the world were primarily to serve the growth in coal demand from new power plants in India and China. As of 2023, India’s projected growth in coal demand stood at about 708 million tons. The high demand from coal power plants was matched by the vast amount of spent on the construction of new coal power plants. From 2010 to 2015, Asia made up over 85 percent of the world’s proposed coal power plant costs. The region also accounted for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions from the construction of coal plants globally.
Coal power plant capacity worldwide – additional information
While the amount of electricity generated from coal has declined in recent years, in part due to the rising accessibility of renewable energy, the coal power industry has continued to build new coal-fired generation plants at a rapid pace. The global installed coal power generation capacity is projected to be on the rise over the next decade and predicted to reach a capacity of over 2.2 terawatts in 2050. As of 2019, China had the highest installed capacity from its coal power plants, amounting to about 1,005 gigawatts in total. The United States came in a distant second with over 246 gigawatts of coal power plant capacity, followed by India at about 229 gigawatts.
Worldwide, about 200 gigawatts of new coal capacity was under construction in 2019 and about 300 gigawatts were in various stages of planning. However, the capacity of the coal plant pipeline has decreased over the last few years. These announced coal power plants around the world were primarily to serve the growth in coal demand from new power plants in India and China. As of 2023, India’s projected growth in coal demand stood at about 708 million tons. The high demand from coal power plants was matched by the vast amount of spent on the construction of new coal power plants. From 2010 to 2015, Asia made up over 85 percent of the world’s proposed coal power plant costs. The region also accounted for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions from the construction of coal plants globally.
