The world added the lowest amount of coal power in 20 years, as 44 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity came online in 2024, a strong signal for the continued decline of the most polluting fossil fuel, according to Global Energy Monitor’s definitive annual survey of the global coal fleet.
Now in its tenth year, the “Boom and Bust Coal” report strives to track nearly every coal plant and proposal in the world through the Global Coal Plant Tracker. Data in the tracker show that the coal fleet inched up less than 1% in 2024, for a net increase of 18.8 GW, as 25.2 GW of retired capacity cut into the record low additions — driven by a quadrupling of retirements in the European Union.
The trickle of new operating capacity was mirrored in most of the world by a drying up of the pipeline of under development coal capacity — projects that have been announced or are in the pre-permit, permitting and construction phases.
Just eight countries proposed new coal plants in 2024, down from twelve countries in 2023. In the wealthier 38 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), coal plant proposals are down from 142 in 2015 to five today.
New coal proposals have also dwindled in Southeast Asia, due to coal phaseout pledges in Indonesia and Malaysia, a moratorium on coal plant permitting in the Philippines, and the development of just transition planning in Vietnam. Indonesia was the only country to propose new coal plants in Southeast Asia in 2024, all captive coal plants.
Latin America is nearing zero coal proposals, with only Brazil and Honduras proposing new coal plants that have lingered for years. In 2024, Panama committed to phasing out coal power in two years, by 2026.
Progress towards phasing out coal from the global power mix continues to be undermined by developments in China and India. Record high construction starts for coal plants in China followed on the heels of the country’s 2022 to 2023 permitting resurgence. If not curtailed, the wave of new coal plants could undo President Xi’s pledge to strictly limit the growth in coal consumption through 2025.
India also proposed a record number of new coal plant proposals in 2024, as the government renewed the country’s support for coal power after a multi-year slowdown. The Indian government has committed to “phase down” the use of coal, but has not set a formal timeline for when such a phasedown in generation or capacity will begin.