China has slowed down approvals of new coal power projects as its renewable energy adoption soars, a report from a think tank has found.

Nevertheless, while the number of new coal power permits has decreased, the existing pipeline of projects “remains substantial”, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said. It warned that the upcoming projects mean that China’s climate targets and energy transition ambitions are at risk.

China undertook a surge in coal power permits in 2022 and 2023, with 100GW in approvals annually in both years. But in the first half of 2024, China reduced the number of permits by 83% compared to the same period last year, permitting only 9GW of new generation.

The country still undertook construction on over 41GW of coal projects in the first half of this year, and the government’s goal of bringing 80GW of coal-fired capacity online in 2024 suggests that completions could ramp up in the latter half of the year.

According to Global Energy Monitor’s annual...