Only 16 countries are building new coal power plants
Countries with coal-fired units under construction (30 MW and up), Global Energy Monitor, September 2026.
Sixteen countries had coal-fired power units under construction in September 2026; 59 of the 74 countries and territories that run coal plants were building none.
China (204 GW) and India (41 GW) account for 94% of the 260 GW of coal power capacity under construction worldwide.
Another 16 countries, from Bangladesh to Nigeria and Türkiye, have coal plants proposed but none under construction.
the numbers & method
| Country | Value (GW) |
|---|---|
| CHN | 204.17 |
| IND | 40.53 |
| IDN | 5.27 |
| VNM | 2.71 |
| RUS | 1.98 |
| ZMB | 1.37 |
| PHL | 0.97 |
| ZWE | 0.72 |
| BWA | 0.70 |
| IRN | 0.65 |
| MNG | 0.40 |
| LAO | 0.30 |
| KHM | 0.27 |
| KAZ | 0.14 |
| POL | 0.10 |
| PAK | 0.03 |
| ARG | 0.00 |
| AUS | 0.00 |
| BGD | 0.00 |
| BGR | 0.00 |
| BIH | 0.00 |
| BRA | 0.00 |
| BRN | 0.00 |
| CAN | 0.00 |
| CHL | 0.00 |
| COL | 0.00 |
| CZE | 0.00 |
| DEU | 0.00 |
| DNK | 0.00 |
| DOM | 0.00 |
| ESP | 0.00 |
| FIN | 0.00 |
| FRA | 0.00 |
| GRC | 0.00 |
| GTM | 0.00 |
| HKG | 0.00 |
| HRV | 0.00 |
| HUN | 0.00 |
| ISR | 0.00 |
| ITA | 0.00 |
| JPN | 0.00 |
| KGZ | 0.00 |
| KOR | 0.00 |
| LKA | 0.00 |
| MAR | 0.00 |
| MDG | 0.00 |
| MEX | 0.00 |
| MKD | 0.00 |
| MMR | 0.00 |
| MNE | 0.00 |
| MUS | 0.00 |
| MYS | 0.00 |
| NAM | 0.00 |
| NER | 0.00 |
| NGA | 0.00 |
| NLD | 0.00 |
| NZL | 0.00 |
| PAN | 0.00 |
| PRI | 0.00 |
| PRK | 0.00 |
| ROU | 0.00 |
| SEN | 0.00 |
| SRB | 0.00 |
| SVK | 0.00 |
| SVN | 0.00 |
| THA | 0.00 |
| TJK | 0.00 |
| TUR | 0.00 |
| TWN | 0.00 |
| UKR | 0.00 |
| USA | 0.00 |
| UZB | 0.00 |
| XKX | 0.00 |
| ZAF | 0.00 |
| NCL | 0.00 |
Claim types Fact
Unit-level data from the tracker's September 2026 release (file 'Global Integrated Power September 2026 V2'), coal units only, summed by country and status by progrss. 'Under construction' = GEM status 'construction'; 'proposed' = 'announced' or 'pre-construction' with no unit under construction in that country. The coal tracker covers units of 30 MW and larger. Iran's only coal plant (Tabas, 2 × 325 MW) is under construction; it runs none. Country totals: China 204,171 MW, India 40,530, Indonesia 5,270, Viet Nam 2,713, Russia 1,975, Zambia 1,370, Philippines 970, Zimbabwe 715, Botswana 700, Iran 650, Mongolia 400, Laos 300, Cambodia 265, Kazakhstan 140, Poland 100, Pakistan 31.5; world 260,301 MW. Status definitions from GEM's methodology page (construction: site preparation and equipment installation under way). New Caledonia and Puerto Rico run coal and are counted, but are not drawn on the map. Data are open-access; cited as GEM recommends: "Global Integrated Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, September 2026 release."
Published 3 Nov 2026
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