Coal production in China hit an all-time high last year despite a decline in coal-fired generation. At an annual 1.2%, the increase translated into a total of 4.83 billion tons, Bloomberg reported today, citing official statistical data.
The annual increase in coal output came despite efforts by the government to curb oversupply that affected production during the second quarter of the year. Natural gas production also hit an all-time high as it continued an upward curve spanning three decades, and crude oil production also surged.
Interestingly, one of the biggest coal centers in the country, the Shanxi province, saw a record electricity output from alternative energy sources, with the total for 2025 rising to 118 billion kWh—the first time this segment of electricity generation topped 100 billion kWh, Xinhua reported today.
The increase in output represented a 26% surge on the year as the province saw wind and solar capacity growth of 53.1%, equal to 16.9 GW. With the new capacity additions, the coal province now has more than 78.8 GW in wind and solar generation capacity, which represented close to 50% of its total generation capacity at the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, China’s weaker demand for coal, coupled with the increase in domestic supply, drove a 9.6% decline in imports of the energy commodity last year, to 490 million tons. A seasonal surge in December countered the overall trend last year, highlighting coal’s still crucial importance for China’s energy security even as it cements its position as the world’s largest builder of wind and solar.
Yet China is still building new coal-powered generation capacity as well. The country is set to commission as many as 85 coal-fired power generating units this year, out of a total global of 104 coal projects slated for start-up in 2026, according to data by non-profit Global Energy Monitor, out earlier this month.
Of all the 63 GW of coal-fired power generation expected to begin commercial operations globally this year, 55 GW will be in China, the GEM data showed.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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