Coal-fired power generation accounts for 74 percent of the total installed generation capacity in China, and it is expected to remain above 60 percent of the total until 2020. However, average coal-fired power generation efficiency in China is lower than that of developed countries, and the coal consumption per unit electrical power generation exceeds greatly that of advanced countries. In addition, coal-based power plants discharge amounts of gaseous, liquid and solid pollutants, which contribute to the deterioration of the environment. These negative effects on environment will hamper sustainable development of the electrical power industry. Besides of these pollutants, power plants are the biggest CO2 emission source, which has received much concern as the most important greenhouse gases. Thus the electrical power industry not only needs to increase its generation efficiency, but also reduce pollutants discharge and CO2 emission in the future.

The capacity of power plant in China

CO2 emissions source IEA, World Energy Outlook 2002