Most of the proposed new plants are in China and India, which account for 76% of proposed capacity. Turkey and Russia also have big plans. And, a growing number of coal plants are being proposed for developing nations that are looking for inexpensive sources of energy to fuel economic growth.
According to the report, China has a significant number of coal-fired power projects in the pipeline. As of July 2012, China proposed adding 363 coal-fired plants with a combined capacity exceeding 557,938 mw. China’s 12th Five-Year-Plan approved 16 giant coal-power bases, mainly in the northern and northwestern provinces of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Shanxi and Shaanxi.
India’s coal-fired power capacity is rapidly expanding, similar to China’s experience over the last 10 years. Research identified 455 proposed new coal-fired power plants in India, with a total installed capacity of 519,396 mw. These projects are spread across 18 states, with the largest concentration in Andhra Pradesh (southeast coast), Chhattisgarh (interior state), Maharashtra (southwest coast), Orissa (northeast coast), Madhya Pradesh (interior state) and Jharkhand (interior state).
To view the whole report, go to http://pdf.wri.org/global_coal_risk_assessment.pdf.
