China, under fire for approving new coal power stations as other countries try to curb greenhouse gases, has completed the first 1,000-megawatt unit of the Shanghaimiao plant, the biggest of its kind under construction in the country.

Its operator, the Guodian Power Shanghaimiao Corporation, a subsidiary of the central government-run China Energy Investment Corporation, said on Tuesday that the plant’s technology was the world’s most efficient, with the lowest rates of coal and water consumption.

Located in Ordos in the coal-rich northwestern region of Inner Mongolia, the plant will eventually have four generating units, and is designed to deliver power to the eastern coastal Shandong province via a long-distance ultra-high voltage grid.

China is responsible for more than half of global coal-fired power generation and is expected to see a 9% year-on-year increase in 2021, an International Energy Agency report published this month said.

Watch | COP26 Climate Summit: Several countries set coal phase out deadline

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82.3 exajoules were consumed by China.China consumes about 54.3 percent of the world's coal.

Beijing has pledged to start reducing coal consumption, but will do so only after 2025, giving developers considerable leeway to raise capacity further in the coming four years.

A report published this month by researchers at China’s State Grid Corporation said energy security concerns mean the country is likely to build as much as 150 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity over the 2021-2025 period, bringing the total to 1,230 GW.

(With inputs from agencies)

China, under fire for approving new coal power stations as other countries try to curb greenhouse gases, has completed the first 1,000-megawatt unit of the Shanghaimiao plant, the biggest of its kind under construction in the country.

China, under fire for approving new coal power stations as other countries try to curb greenhouse gases, has completed the first 1,000-megawatt unit of the Shanghaimiao plant, the biggest of its kind under construction in the country. Its operator, the Guodian Power Shanghaimiao Corporation, a subsidiary of the central government-run China Energy Investment Corporation, said on Tuesday that the plant’s technology was the world’s most efficient, with the lowest rates of coal and water consumption. Located in Ordos in the coal-rich northwestern region of Inner Mongolia, the plant will eventually have four generating units, and is designed to deliver power to the eastern coastal Shandong province via a long-distance ultra-high voltage grid. China is responsible for more than half of global coal-fired power generation and is expected to see a 9% year-on-year increase in 2021, an International Energy Agency report published this month said. Watch | COP26 Climate Summit: Several countries set coal phase out deadline 82.3 exajoules were consumed by China.China consumes about 54.3 percent of the world's coal. Beijing has pledged to start reducing coal consumption, but will do so only after 2025, giving developers considerable leeway to raise capacity further in the coming four years. A report published this month by researchers at China’s State Grid Corporation said energy security concerns mean the country is likely to build as much as 150 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity over the 2021-2025 period, bringing the total to 1,230 GW. (With inputs from agencies)

Despite global calls for cuts, China starts a massive coal-fired power plant

China must stop building new coal power plants and ramp up its wind and solar capacity if it wants to become carbon neutral by 2060, researchers said Friday.

A new report published by the Helsinki-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air warned that overcapacity of existing plants and new ones being built mean it will be hard for Beijing to meet the much-lauded climate goal promised by President Xi Jinping earlier this year.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/burning-fossil-fuels-helped-drive-earths-most-massive-extinction-344082" hreflang="en">Burning fossil fuels helped drive Earth’s most massive extinction</a>

The research organisation called for the Chinese government to shut down all new coal-fired power plants built from 2020 and double the growth of wind and solar power in the next decade.

The country should aim to whittle its coal fleet down to about 680 gigawatts by 2030 — instead of current plans to expand it to about 1,300 gigawatts, it said.

Without proper policy intervention to retire these surplus plants early and halt the construction of new ones, the researchers claimed the level of carbon dioxide emitted by China would show almost no reduction compared to this year's level.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/greenlands-largest-glaciers-likely-to-melt-faster-than-feared-study-343852" hreflang="en">Greenland's largest glaciers likely to melt faster than feared: Study</a>

"The power section needs to achieve zero emissions as soon as possible," the report said.

"Coal power should be phased out rapidly in a cost-effective manner."

As part of the plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, China also pledged to reach its peak carbon emissions by 2030, which researchers claim needs coal-fired power to start reducing almost immediately.

"As long as coal consumption continues to drop significantly, peaking carbon emissions before 2030 will be a relatively achievable goal," Yuan Jiahai, Professor at North China Electric Power University, said in the report.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emission-even-to-zero-wont-stop-global-warming-study-342988" hreflang="en">Reducing greenhouse gas emission even to zero won't stop global warming: Study</a>

One way to reach this target, the report says, is to set a high carbon price in the carbon trading market, in turn incentivising the carbon-emitters to reduce coal-fired power generation.

The report also called for coordination among the Chinese government, think tanks and other NGOs to ensure the visibility and transparency of the process.

China's carbon promise, announced in September in a speech by Xi to the United Nations, came as a surprise as Beijing has relied heavily on coal to spur its economic emergence from poverty to superpower status over the last few decades.

China must stop building new coal power plants and ramp up its wind and solar capacity if it wants to become carbon neutral by 2060, researchers said Friday. A new report published by the Helsinki-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air warned that overcapacity of existing plants and new ones being built mean it will be hard for Beijing to meet the much-lauded climate goal promised by President Xi Jinping earlier this year.

China must stop building new coal power plants and ramp up its wind and solar capacity if it wants to become carbon neutral by 2060, researchers said Friday. A new report published by the Helsinki-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air warned that overcapacity of existing plants and new ones being built mean it will be hard for Beijing to meet the much-lauded climate goal promised by President Xi Jinping earlier this year. Also read| Burning fossil fuels helped drive Earth’s most massive extinction The research organisation called for the Chinese government to shut down all new coal-fired power plants built from 2020 and double the growth of wind and solar power in the next decade. The country should aim to whittle its coal fleet down to about 680 gigawatts by 2030 — instead of current plans to expand it to about 1,300 gigawatts, it said. Without proper policy intervention to retire these surplus plants early and halt the construction of new ones, the researchers claimed the level of carbon dioxide emitted by China would show almost no reduction compared to this year's level. Also read| Greenland's largest glaciers likely to melt faster than feared: Study "The power section needs to achieve zero emissions as soon as possible," the report said. "Coal power should be phased out rapidly in a cost-effective manner." As part of the plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, China also pledged to reach its peak carbon emissions by 2030, which researchers claim needs coal-fired power to start reducing almost immediately. "As long as coal consumption continues to drop significantly, peaking carbon emissions before 2030 will be a relatively achievable goal," Yuan Jiahai, Professor at North China Electric Power University, said in the report. Also read| Reducing greenhouse gas emission even to zero won't stop global warming: Study One way to reach this target, the report says, is to set a high carbon price in the carbon trading market, in turn incentivising the carbon-emitters to reduce coal-fired power generation. The report also called for coordination among the Chinese government, think tanks and other NGOs to ensure the visibility and transparency of the process. China's carbon promise, announced in September in a speech by Xi to the United Nations, came as a surprise as Beijing has relied heavily on coal to spur its economic emergence from poverty to superpower status over the last few decades.

China's new coal plants risk 2060 climate target: Researchers

Citing national security concerns, US President Donald Trump's administration is working on a fresh plan to subsidize coal and nuclear plants, a move critics say is unnecessary and will drive up energy costs.&nbsp;

The new move comes months after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission terminated an earlier proposal to provide federal aid to the troubled sectors, claiming it was needed to strengthen the resilience of the national grid.

The US energy watchdog found the proposals neither justified nor reasonable.

But&nbsp;on Friday, the White House said it was working on a new plan.

"Keeping America's energy grid and infrastructure strong and secure protects our national security, public safety and economy from intentional attacks and natural disasters," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, impending retirements of fuel-secure power facilities are leading to a rapid depletion of a critical part of our nation's energy mix and impacting the resilience of our power grid."

Sanders said Trump had ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to prepare "immediate steps to stop the loss of these resources."

The statement did not provide further details, but a Wall Street Journal report said the new plan would force grid operators to take the electricity produced by coal and nuclear plants.

Grid operator PJM criticized the announcement, saying there was "no need for any such drastic action."

"Any federal intervention in the market to order customers to buy electricity from specific power plants would be damaging to the markets and therefore costly to consumers," it added.

Christopher Mansour, of the Solar Energy Industries Association, added: "A policy to spend billions of dollars keeping uneconomic power plants afloat, while trying to put clean and affordable solar on the sidelines, is not a recipe for economic success."

Both coal and nuclear have seen their share of the energy market diminish in recent years, losing out to oil, natural gas and renewables.

There are currently only two nuclear reactors under construction in the US, in addition to the 99 in service. Coal is also facing a crisis, and Trump made reversing its decline a major campaign pledge.

The US energy watchdog found the proposals neither justified nor reasonable

Citing national security concerns, US President Donald Trump's administration is working on a fresh plan to subsidize coal and nuclear plants, a move critics say is unnecessary and will drive up energy costs. The new move comes months after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission terminated an earlier proposal to provide federal aid to the troubled sectors, claiming it was needed to strengthen the resilience of the national grid. The US energy watchdog found the proposals neither justified nor reasonable. But on Friday, the White House said it was working on a new plan. "Keeping America's energy grid and infrastructure strong and secure protects our national security, public safety and economy from intentional attacks and natural disasters," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "Unfortunately, impending retirements of fuel-secure power facilities are leading to a rapid depletion of a critical part of our nation's energy mix and impacting the resilience of our power grid." Sanders said Trump had ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to prepare "immediate steps to stop the loss of these resources." The statement did not provide further details, but a Wall Street Journal report said the new plan would force grid operators to take the electricity produced by coal and nuclear plants. Grid operator PJM criticized the announcement, saying there was "no need for any such drastic action." "Any federal intervention in the market to order customers to buy electricity from specific power plants would be damaging to the markets and therefore costly to consumers," it added. Christopher Mansour, of the Solar Energy Industries Association, added: "A policy to spend billions of dollars keeping uneconomic power plants afloat, while trying to put clean and affordable solar on the sidelines, is not a recipe for economic success." Both coal and nuclear have seen their share of the energy market diminish in recent years, losing out to oil, natural gas and renewables. There are currently only two nuclear reactors under construction in the US, in addition to the 99 in service. Coal is also facing a crisis, and Trump made reversing its decline a major campaign pledge.

Trump readies new plan to aid coal and nuclear power