Reposted from NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
AUGUST 24, 2021
By Paul Homewood
And still they build more:
China is planning to build 43 new coal-fired power plants and 18 new blast furnaces — equivalent to adding about 1.5% to its current annual emissions — according to a new report. The new projects were announced in the first half of this year despite the world’s largest polluter pledging to bring its emissions to a peak before 2030, and to make the country carbon neutral by 2060.
The news shows that at least some in China are prioritizing economic growth over emissions reductions — although some analysts say they are still optimistic that China will reach its climate targets. “There is this desire in the Chinese political and economic system to keep on building, to continue the infrastructure fever,” says Li Shuo, a senior global policy adviser for Greenpeace in Beijing.
The report on China’s new coal plants was written by the Helsinki-based research organization the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the U.S. group Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and released on Aug. 13. It came just days after the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published an alarming report that concluded human-caused climate change is an “unequivocal” reality. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the IPCC report a “code red for humanity.”
China is leading the world in new coal power plants, building more than three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined in 2020. It isn’t alone in its reliance on coal, however. China and four other countries, India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam, account for more than 80% of the coal power stations planned across the world, according to a June report by the think-tank Carbon Tracker.
But it’s not all bad news. China has pledged to reduce its energy intensity — measured by comparing total energy consumed to GDP — and its carbon intensity — the carbon-dioxide produced per dollar of GDP — by 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in April the country will also reduce coal use beginning in 2026.
Despite the development of coal power plants, China is a renewable energy leader,accounting for about 50% of the world’s growth in renewable energy capacity in 2020
https://time.com/6090732/china-coal-power-plants-emissions/?mc_cid=4013cbbc49&mc_eid=870a48a53b
The gullible greens still try to convince themselves that China really is going to cut emissions eventually. They cling on to the pledge of reducing energy and carbon intensity, but they really ought to realise that this is a meaningless promise, as all maturing economies do this as they expand into consumer goods and services. This does not mean though that energy consumption will actually decline, simply that the economy will grow faster than energy use does.
Then there is the nonsense about China being the world’s leader in renewable energy. Naturally, given the size of their economy, everything thing they do is big. But the sad reality is that wind and solar power still only contributed a paltry 4% of China’s energy last year.
As for Xi’s “promises”, we might recall that Senile Joe actually believed the Taliban.
The report reckons that these new coal plants and blast furnaces will add 150 million tonnes to China’s CO2 emissions. This is roughly half the UK’s total emissions.
But they were originally planning to build 44. This reduction proves that China has given up on coal.
Exactly. They are “bending the curve”. Once they dominate the world, they will actively work to reduce carbon emissions to near zero in their vassal states.
Chinese are communists, their ideology is to look after poor and deprived around the world. Best way to do that is to pump as much CO2 as they can afford to do to help agriculture prosper and feed the poor and the hungry. With another 100 + coal power stations they might be in position to eliminate food banks in less prosperous countries as USA, the UK, France etc. /sc
I look forward to atmospheric concentration of the precious, life-giving, beneficial trace gas CO2 reaching 1200 ppm. It might help to offset the coming long winter.
The CCP is nationalistic first and foremost. They know working class is a lot better off in countries such as HK, Macao, Taiwan, or Singapore, and yet they seek political dominance
Mark, you’ve stolen Griff’s comment. He won’t have anything to say in this thread now.
Just pulled the rug out from underneath him! 🙂
One is just ready 😀
Lucky they are getting out of coal because the coal price has hits records this month and China still has a tantrum on with Australia. Australia only made $4.1 billion in export revenue for the June 2021 quarter compared with $3.6 billion in the same period last year. Asian markets are consuming what would have usually been sold to China.
Griff tells us it’s going to end but don’t mind us while we rake in the billions of dollars in the meantime … forecast for this year is $17 Billion.
“Australia only made $4.1 billion in export revenue for the June 2021 quarter compared with $3.6 billion in the same period last year.”
Well, let’s see here. That would mean that Australia is doing better now than in the past.
That Chicom boycott does not seem to be working very well.
Here in Canada, the PM has stopped all thermal coal mining expansion and a deadline for electricity from thermal coal. Albeit 90% of Canada’s thermal coal is in Alberta as are the remaining coal power generation plants. A province that does not have a Liberal member of parliament.
oh, I almost forgot, 😉, the PM doesn’t have any plans to stop Wyoming/Montana coal leaving the Vancouver port for Asia. btw exempt from the PM’s carbon tax.
I used to have a V6, now I have a IL4 turbo, I am comiitted to stop using gas.
MarkW,
Your point is well made, but you’ve made one critical assumption . . . that the report from CREA and GEM accurately reports the number being 43 new coal-fired plants.
How do we know that is factual? Has there been any independent confirmation that the true number is 43, and not 44, 45 or even 57?
Here is part of what CREA says under their “About Us” tab on their website home page:
“We use scientific data, research and evidence to support the efforts of governments, companies and campaigning organizations worldwide in their efforts to move towards clean energy and clean air.” Hmmm . . . think there might be a little bias in their reporting?
And here is what GEM says under their “About – Our Story” tab on their website home page:
“In 2007, responding to a call to action by climate scientist James Hansen, an informal group of journalists and environmental advocates began documenting 151 proposed coal plants in the United States. This group would eventually go on to become Global Energy Monitor . . . Climate change presents an existential threat to humanity, a threat that may only be solved through the careful application of data and information. In a complex, nuanced, and ever-evolving world, GEM’s role is to distill the facts and present them to the public in a way that strengthens the discourse around energy and environmental issues.” (my underlining emphasis added) Uhhhh . . . think there might be a little bias in their reporting? And please note that I prefer to not have facts “distilled”.
Yeah, I’m going to wait a bit before concluding that China has actually embarked on the plan stated in the above article.
It gets worse as the population and economic growth of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam that plan to build more than 600 coal power units and African countries that are planning to build more than 1,250 new coal and gas-fired power plants by 2030.
more than 600 coal power units: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/30/five-asian-countries-80-percent-new-coal-power-investment
more than 1,250 new coal and gas-fired power plants: https://www.thegwpf.com/african-nations-planning-1250-new-coal-and-gas-power-plants-study-reveals/?mc_cid=ae7ffba38b&mc_eid=aa96fcfc4f
Don’t worry this will all be offset by putting a bit of cladding on some insalubrious council house situated in the greater Manchester area.
Good for China – that’s what they should be building, not worse-than-useless wind mills and solar panels.
And they know we’re in a CO2 famine.
Yah, but… only 43? Pphhtttt!
They’ll come up with some lame excuse like “the coal shortage” or something.
😜
They build windmills components (mostly steel) and completed solar panels for export to the countries ruled by ‘climafia’ where universities and science institutions practice omertà against any learned person prepared to give evidence against enforcers of the rapidly spreading energy depriving dictatorship.
“But it’s not all bad news. China has pledged to reduce its energy intensity — measured by comparing total energy consumed to GDP — and its carbon intensity — the carbon-dioxide produced per dollar of GDP — by 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in April the country will also reduce coal use beginning in 2026.”
Reducing energy intensity. OK, so they are making power more efficiently, retiring older coal plants and replacing them with more modern ones.
Reducing carbon intensity. OK again, they are using their energy more efficiently with better processes across the board. We expect this as technology improves.
Reduce coal use beginning in 2026.
This could be the game changer. For years now, we have heard a steady rumbling about a huge and intense R+D effort in nuclear power. Even more, there seems to be keen interest in Thorium and in Molten Salt reactor designs. Many of us have been wondering when we might see the results of an effort which has been reportedly going on for a decade. It may well be that 2025-2026 will see the roll out of a huge nuclear power program more advanced than anything the West is even imagining. What happens when China takes it’s total dominance in manufacturing and marries it to a new power source which is both cheaper and more abundant than anything else on the table? We will find out soon enough when they start building in a few years.
“Despite the development of coal power plants, China is a renewable energy leader,accounting for about 50% of the world’s growth in renewable energy capacity in 2020″
And the greenies really think China is going to go with “renewables”. That thinking is just dumb.
“Total dominance in manufacturing.” No. Total dominance in reverse engineering. I have done extensive work over there. They are opposed to innovation. $3/hr wages with no benefits and they line up for the jobs, but this is not dominance.
I think it’s amazing the people that want our political system to be more like Chinas. Can you imagine living in a totalitarian country where the political leaders say you are to do something and then they turn around and do the opposite? A country where leaders are mandating you be exposed to experimental medication and information regarding side effects and negative outcomes can be wiped away from social media? Oh, wait….nevermind.
Can you imagine living in a totalitarian country
Yes. I read Orwell when I was at school for O Level English.
The Marxists/Communists/Socialists/Progressives that have taken over the Democratic party seem to think that by taking rights away a little at a time, the people wont notice they’re becoming slaves to the government. The need to do this arises because all of these oppressive ideologies suffer from the same fatal flaw, which is replacing freedom and personal responsibility with one size fits all centralized control.
I’ve already bet £100 that the CoP fails
This just makes the odds seem that much more certain!
COP was dead before it was even rescheduled and post covid it couldn’t get enough support to anything more than lip service. The highlight will be “how dare you” … well sorry we dare love.
Be part of the excitement! Rally your climate representatives today for COP27-Fargo today!
The global heating brigade are in for a shock. It’s been a cool year and if that trend continues they are going to need some warm clothing in Glasgow in November.
Everybody always needs warm clothing in Glasgow in November.
Brilliant idea! I’ve been to Fargo and it is a perfect spot for Cop 27.
Time to lay in a good supply of chipper shredders for the conference?
Isn’t that a little harsh on the delegates, Mason? Not to mention messy.
Messy? Nah, set up next to the Red River and feed the fishes. Quick rinse out with a hose and “Bob’s your uncle!”.
“This is roughly half of the UK’s emissions.” So, if the UK (and Kalifornia et al) think they must save the world and we are at the tipping point, they should go instantly to carbon zero. If they don’t think they are saving the world with their nonsense they should shut up. Paul is right, trusting China is the same as trusting the Taliban.
One of those fun graphs around … We run out of coal in 133 years at current rate of use
https://www.worldometers.info/coal/
Things must be serious…
The Guardian’s climate crisis page has gone 404
Sorry – we haven’t been able to serve the page you asked for.
You may have followed an outdated link, or have mistyped a URL. If you believe this to be an error please report it.
The Guardian homepage
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-change
It’s dead, Jim.
I was sure it was a zombie, bones.
It’s either powered by unreliables or the climate disaster got it … news at 5.
They must have gone to join the XR battle lines….
Don’t trust any Foreigners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNDLBetg3kc
Urgent, urgent, emergency
Urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent, emergency
Urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent, emergency
So urgent, emergency
It works for me.
” ….. nonsense about China being the world’s leader …. etc.”
China probably IS the world’s leader in renewable energy, although it doesn’t use much itself, it just makes most of the components and sells them to us.
And they can promise anything for 2060 – they know that the whole AGW scam will be long dead by then.
“And they can promise anything for 2060 – they know that the whole AGW scam will be long dead by then.”
Good point. I’m guessing it will be over about 2031. The scam, not the world we live in.
Confucious say; “Just because you don’t like coal doesn’t mean I have to. Different strokes for different folks”.
Yes, the classic nonsensical argument one sometimes hears. They are leading the world in installing solar, therefore their extra emissions in coal don’t count.
Here is a list again, with that one added:
1) Their per capita is lower and that’s what matters
No it isn’t lower, its at EU levels, and its tonnage that matters
2) Their historical emissions are lower so its only fair they catch up
This is the argument its only fair they destroy civilization…
3) Their CO2 intensity as function of GDP is falling
Maybe, but the GDP is rising, so tonnage is rising
4) They are installing lots of solar and wind
Maybe they are, but they are also increasing their emission tonnage
This is all about pretending that the thing driving physics is the tonnage, while trying desperately to find a reason why this does not mean the biggest emitter, by tonnage, must reduce. They are burning and mining more coal than the rest of the world put together. They are emitting about one third of the global CO2 emissions.
And the green idiots are wrapping themselves into insane contortions trying to argue that tonnage is all that matters, without drawing the conclusion that they should be demonstrating not in Oxford Circus but outside the Chinese Embassy.
Or maybe there is a square in Beijing….?
There is a really giant public square in Beijing that would hold all the protestors for any reasonable sized protest. Maybe they could hold a big protest there, what was that place called….,
Oh, is that the one with the extra wide roads leading to it? The roads with the tank tread marks in them? The names just on the tip of my tongue….
Give the rescinded Emmy Award taken from Cuomo to Xi for his brave leadership in expanding renewables (with coal). /sarc
Is that “neutral” or “net neutral”? They can just buy indulgences. I’m sure they can afford to.
Calling on griff – we need you in China, pronto.
Please take your excellent arguments and data for a meeting with Xi and get the Chinese straightened out, OK?
You can do it. We await your travel report. Thanks.
It amazes me that so many lunatic Greens are against a warmer, lusher, greener world.
That was my reaction 27 years ago and most people didn’t even know that carbon dioxide was plant food.
In the decade 2009-2019 4.5 times as much new coal-fired electrical generation came on line – mostly in China, followed by India and developing Asian nations – as was retired – mostly in US followed by EU. And yet we’re the bad guys and China is the renewable energy leader?
We are ruled by morons, cheered on by idiots and sycophants in the media.
…and oil development
China Announces Major Shale Oil Discovery (yahoo.com)
…and Europe
WSJ
Europe is facing a natural-gas shortage just as Russia is completing a controversial pipeline to Germany, increasing President Vladimir Putin’s leverage over the continent’s energy flows.
Europe’s gas stores are at their lowest levels for years after demand rebounded from a pandemic-induced low that had led producers to slash output. As a result, prices are hitting record levels and utilities are firing up coal-fired power stations to keep their own costs down.
Despite this, Russia, Europe’s biggest gas supplier, has declined to book big additional flows through pipelines in Ukraine, which are running below full capacity.
James Huckstepp, lead European gas analyst at the commodities-data firm, said much of the gas that flows through Nord Stream 2 this year will be diverted from other pipelines rather than representing additional fuel. He said Gazprom doesn’t have the capacity to produce large extra volumes after a lack of investment in gas fields during a stretch of low prices in recent years.
“The world is running short of gas coming into this winter,” Mr. Huckstepp said.
Rocketing prices in the wholesale gas market are starting to bite consumers and energy-hungry industrial companies. Great Britain’s energy regulator has raised its main cap on retail prices by more than 10%.
Utilities are burning more lignite in place of gas, according to Tom Marzec-Manser, lead European gas analyst at ICIS, which tracks energy and chemical prices. Lignite, also known as brown coal, is cheap but has gone out of favor in recent years because it generates among the highest CO2 emissions of all fossil fuels.
Natural Gas Weekly Update (eia.gov)
US still has twice the accomulated CO2 compared to China.
If the chinese follow their plan to peak before 2030 and go neutral in 2060, they will probably never catch up with the US emissions.
https://ourworldindata.org/contributed-most-global-co2
Since 1751? If you have to go 270 years in time to make a point that the US is bad and China not so much, perhaps you’re stretching things too much. And I would have absolutely no faith in any numbers anyone puts forth from that far back.
1751??, China has been around for 3000 years. Go ALL THE WAY BACK, then add it up.
Like always with leftists, you are selecting the time frame to suit YOUR desired outcome.
Also reduce the US total by the industrial output for WWI and WWII and all other “global” wars where the US played the world’s policeman.
A$$hat!
the atmosphere doesn’t care about history .
China will use coal as long as sun and wind can’t deliver electricity as needed:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/29/climate-china-has-no-other-choice-but-to-rely-on-coal-power-for-now.html
… that means forever….
Videos showing the new coal railways that China has built:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvzmHLCIyPc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Iu9D5RhqQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SdI1JZcITY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrvb4uvkLCc
Did anyone think that China plans to decarbonize when they built such an expensive coal transportation system?
The facts are familiar, but its valuable to have attention drawn to them again.
The conclusion we should draw is simple.
China doesn’t believe in Global Warming, the Climate Emergency or Crisis or whatever.
Think about it. If its true, they with their huge population and fragile ecology will be most at risk of just about any large country. They emit the most, they are the only ones who can unilaterally make a difference to global emissions.
If they believed it, they would be acting now. They are doing exactly the reverse, they are doing their level best not only to increase their own emissions but the world’s.
The thing Griff and fellows need to address is that the real people they should be calling climate deniers are the billions of people in China and India, and their leaders.
Inquiring minds want to know. Why are the Chinese and the Indians never called deniers?
@michel
you are right, they don’t believe in Global Warming. They are awaiting a global cooling:
https://is.gd/6nDcXI
And they are not alone. German scientists used climate models to look on the global temperature the next 15 and 30 years an they found no warming:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab7d02
Very interesting: The name Jochem Marotzke is seen in the AR5 and now in the AR6.
Let’s wait for Griff to come along and tell us all about the “death of coal”
Maybe it will be polite CO2 and just hover over China
Anyone believing that MSM control by the Globalist cabal is conspiracy theory needs to look at what’s happening. Any CO2 savings are simply added to China’s output while continually increasing. Where’s the outrage or even questioning?
Well, it is just China now.
China commissioned 38.4 GW1 of new coal plants in 2020, making up over 75% of the global total (50.3 GW). Outside China, less than 12 GW was commissioned and, taking into account closures, the global coal fleet outside China declined by 17.2 GW in 2020. Outside China, there was a marked slowdown in 2020 commissioning. India, notably, grew its coal fleet by only net 0.7 GW in 2020, after adding an average 15.0 GW a year from 2010 to 2019. There have been cancellations of future coal power across the globe: Bangladesh, Japan, S Korea and Vietnam in particular. Spain close 47% of its coal capacity last year. German started its coal close programme…
Will China change? I don’t know. It sometimes makes the right noises, it makes public international committments (and hates to be shown as not having met these).
What the central committee dictates, regions seem free to change.
It is experiencing climate impacts, not least floods: historically Chinese leadership has been deposed or had to change for failing to cope with flood events.
Will the rest of the world make it change?
But the rest of us doing nothing is not an option, not least because if we don’t China says ‘well you aren’t doing anything’.
and coal outside China is certainly on the way out, even Chinese funded schemes outside China.
just watched a video put out by ccp featuring their booming coal mining industry . they seemed quite proud
Hmmm, 2020, eh? I don’t know, seems to me that year is important for some reason…
ProTip: It a mainland Chinese lips are moving – they are LYING.
I think they will increase the number some time after COP26.
China’s boycott of Australian coal has been good for India — Quartz (qz.com)
John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, is reportedly looking to push China to issue a moratorium on financing coal projects during a trip to the country next week.
This is great news! I hope they build even more coal-fired power plants. It just goes to show that fossil fuels are essential to economic development and wealth creation. Not a single economy on the planet has been built, nor sustained, on wind and solar.
So-called renewables will never replace fossil fuels.
Read the book that explains why
The moral case for fossil fuels