SINGAPORE: Global coal power capacity saw a modest increase of 18.8 gigawatts (GW) in 2024—its smallest annual rise in two decades, according to the latest report by US-based Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
Despite rapid growth in renewable energy, 12 countries commissioned 44GW of new coal-fired plants last year, outweighing the *25.2GW of retirements. This brought the world’s total coal generation capacity to **2,143GW, marking a *13% increase compared to levels at the time of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
China led the additions with 30.5GW of new coal capacity in 2024. India followed with *5.6GW, slightly up from **5.5GW in 2023. Other countries expanding their coal fleets included *Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
The continued expansion comes amid growing global efforts to phase out fossil fuels and limit climate change impacts.
