China Adds Record 92 GW of Thermal Power Capacity in 2025

China added approximately 92 gigawatts of thermal power plant capacity in 2025. The total marked a 70 percent increase from the previous year and the largest annual rise recorded since data collection began in 2008. The 2025 figure also exceeded the prior peak of roughly 72 gigawatts set in 2015 by 28 percent.

Chinese firms submitted approval requests for 51 gigawatts of new coal capacity during the first quarter of 2026 alone. At the current pace, new proposals filed in 2026 are on track to surpass the record 162 gigawatts submitted across all of 2025. China promotes coal as a reliable backup when wind and solar power are unavailable.

The country has pledged that coal use will peak before 2030. At the same time, China is expanding its nuclear fleet and currently has 39 reactors under construction. That number is nearly five times higher than India's total of eight reactors under construction, which places India second globally behind China.