Coal is already the dominant fuel in Asia’s power mix, making up well over 40%-50% across the region, and it has long been more cost-competitive than gas

The Chinese power group CHN Energy (CEIC) has commissioned the first 660 MW of its 2,640 MW Zhongwei coal-fired power plant project in the Gobi Desert, in the Autonomous Region of Ningxia, in northern China (CEIC press release, 03/02/2026).

Queensland also plans to repeal the previous government’s legislated renewable energy targets regarding renewable’s share on the power-mix (50% by 2030, 70% by 2032, and 80% by 2035), while keeping its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2035, and achieve net zero by 2050.

China, which accounts for around 40% of Indonesia's thermal coal exports at around 150 million mt/year, is a major price setter in the seaborne market, and domestic prices are often influenced by import prices.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced a $625 million investment to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal industry, aiming to boost energy production and support coal communities nationwide.

Coal remains central to India’s energy mix, with coal-fired power accounting for 50% of the country’s installed capcity and 70% of total power generation in 2024—twice the global average.

Poland is in the process of thrashing out its 2040 energy policy, with progress delayed by government infighting. There are two scenarios on the table: one where coal almost completely disappears from the energy mix by 2040 and a “business as usual” scenario, where the dirty fuel retains a role.

Africa’s population is expected to exceed 1 billion in the coming decades, positioning the continent as a major consumer of energy in the long term.

"Despite the significant progress achieved under the REPowerEU Plan and via sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in 2024 the EU saw a rebound in Russian gas imports," the EC said. "More coordinated actions are therefore needed, as the EU's overdependency on Russian energy imports is a security threat."

As of end- 2024, coal-fired power represented 37% of China’s installed capacity but 60% of its power generation.