World building new coal plants faster than it shuts them

Nations around the world are building coal-fired power plants at a faster rate than those being decommissioned.

Nationals Senator John Williams.

Nations around the world are building coal-fired power plants at a faster rate than those being ­decommissioned. The plants under construction reflect a 10 per cent increase to the total global generation powered by coal.

New electricity generated by coal-fired plants will outstrip that which was retired in 2015 and 2016 by a factor of five.

With Australia facing a policy crisis over energy security and the winding back of reliance on coal, construction of new coal-fired power plants was increasing in at least 35 countries, according to data analysis supplied to the ­Nationals by the federal ­parliamentary library. China has 299 new coal generation units under construction, followed by India which is building 132. Australia’s closest neighbour, Indo­nesia, was planning a further 32.

Nuclear countries, including Japan and South Africa, were also increasing their exposure to coal-powered investment, with 21 new plants between them. Vietnam was building 34.

The data was requested by ­Nationals senator and party whip John Williams, who has argued that the carbon emissions produced by the new plants worldwide would eclipse Australia’s total carbon emission profile.

“We don’t have a tent over Australia … emissions are going up around the world because of these generators being built,” ­Senator Williams told The Australian. “We are bowing down to the green agenda which will make no difference to the world’s ­emissions.

“It makes no sense. We will de-industrialise Australia and let everything be manufactured overseas with higher emissions.”

The parliamentary library paper showed that 321 gigawatts of new generation would come from coal plants under construction globally. In 2015 and 2016, total coal generation retired amounted to 64 gigawatts.

Worldwide, the paper showed, there were currently 5973 units of coal-fired power generation. There are often multiple power-generating units within a power station. The number of new units under construction totalled 621.

It would take until 2057 for Australia’s 16 remaining coal-fired power stations to reach the end of their working life, with four slated to shut in the next decade.

The executive director of the Australia Institute, Ben Oquist, said projected coal plants — those planned but not yet under construction — were in fact in decline.

“The reality is the number of coal plants projected continues to fall,” Mr Oquist said. “Furthermore, the percentage of the ­energy mix made up by coal is in steady decline.

“In modern advanced economies, coal is in steep decline.”

According to the International Energy Outlook 2016, Mr Oquist said, China and India alone ­accounted for 69 per cent of the projected worldwide increase in coal-fired generation, while OECD nations continued to ­reduce their reliance on coal-fired electricity generation. He said 18 per cent of planned new coal power plants would never be built, meaning 369GW of projects stood to be cancelled.

The IEA forecasts coal’s share of world energy will fall from 41 to 28 per cent by 2040.

“Australia’s Paris targets will require removing coal power stations,” Mr Oquist said.

“Building new ones would ­require a Trumpesque repudiation of those ­international commitments.

“Emissions cannot be cut by building new power stations. The renewables boom is unstoppable and is going to lead to lower prices for consumers.”