- cross-posted to:
- china@sopuli.xyz
- collapse@lemmy.zip
- cross-posted to:
- china@sopuli.xyz
- collapse@lemmy.zip
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/55398347
- Coal-fired power generation seen rising by 1.5-2% this year
- Power sector coal consumption forecast to increase 3%
- El Nino to boost air conditioning, potentially cut hydropower
- China’s power demand to grow by 5% again this year
[…]
The world’s biggest power consumer increased its usage of thermal power by 3.4% year-on-year in the first five months of the year to 2.53 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), statistics bureau data showed last week. Thermal power is mostly from coal with a small amount from gas.
[…]
Consultancies S&P Global Energy and Wood Mackenzie expect coal-fired power to rebound by 1.5% to 2%, respectively, to 5.4 trillion kWh in 2026 from last year while data analytics firm Kpler expects coal consumed in the power sector to rise some 3% to 2.7 billion tons.
As China cuts liquefied natural gas imports to mitigate higher costs from the Strait of Hormuz blockade, S&P forecasts that gas power will fall 12% to 300 billion kWh, adding another source of incremental demand as coal rises to fill the gap.
[…]
Renewable energy output growth has slowed year-on-year in 2026 because of weak wind generation, low solar utilisation in China’s western provinces, and a slowdown in new installations compared with 2025, [think tank Ember ananlyst Matt] Owen said.
And since China continues to build new coal plants every year, it is effectively “locking in” a certain amount of power generation from coal, said Qi Qin, an analyst at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
“Many coal power plants rely on medium- and long-term contracts to secure high annual generation volumes, which makes it harder for renewables to displace coal,” Qin said.
[…]
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When even the biggest solar power/renewables country can’t keep up with demand. That’s really dark for the Earth.
We’re going to fry like the piggies we are.
Oink oink, but on the bright side, the DOW is above 50K. We are fine.
Unfortunately China has a dual role as the world’s factory and the single largest increase in living standards in world history. The higher the living standards, the more electricity used; and the more companies keep removing heavy industry from native countries, the more electricity used.
Nuclear is fine, and China is nearly doubling its nuclear capacity within the next five years; but that’s not fast enough to keep up with demand. Solar is fine and China is pumping out a honestly ridiculous amount of panels – but space and environmental concerns become a factor quickly and despite what some westerners think China does not want to destroy the environment. Wind isn’t really fine and can’t really be reliably used. Hydro is fine but the international community absolutely fucking hates when China makes new dams, hence he entire backlash for the Tibet dam. And LNG is limited heavily by the US fucking up in the middle east.
So to meet demand while other solutions can be built up or figured out how to minimally impact the environment, coal is used.
If you don’t like this, and also don’t like the fact your country has lost nearly all of its social mobility over the last 50 years, try to get your politicians to force companies to produce things domestically. You will not be able to influence companies to do this with your wallet, and you will not be able to put social pressure on them. Your only hope is getting your government to represent you.
