The total capacity of Chinese fossil-fired power plants in operation or under construction is 699,700 MW, according to an online report by McIlvaine Company (www.mcilvainecompany.com). The report, titled Chinese Utility Plans, displays data on 1,255 plants (or multiple units), comprising more than 2,500 individual boilers. It shows coal accounts for 646,000 MW, gas 8,100 MW, and oil 2,145 MW of the Chinese power market. The fuel is unknown or undecided for 43,000 MW of capacity.
Because of the short 24-36 month development schedule, most of the planned units will be operating in the next three years, according to McIlvaine. Presently 470,000 MW are in operation. The McIlvaine database shows more coal plants likely to be in operation in 2010 than the official Chinese estimate of 622,000 MW of coal capacity.
By 2011, McIlvaine predicts China will have more coal-fired capacity than the United States and Europe combined, and more than the next six countries combined.
