Between January and June, plants with a combined capacity of 21 gigawatts were connected to the grid, according to an analysis published on Monday by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). It was the highest first-half figure since 2016.
Analysts expect the total to exceed 80 gigawatts by the end of the year.
"Despite a rapidly changing capacity and generation mix, coal power construction in China shows no sign of easing," CREA said in its report.
At the same time, China continues to expand green energy production. CREA projects that wind and solar capacity will expand by more than 500 gigawatts by the end of 2025.
By comparison, Germany added just under 20 gigawatts of wind, solar and biomass capacity in 2024, bringing its total to around 190 gigawatts, according to the Federal Network Agency.
The rapid expansion of green energy has already curbed emissions.
An analysis by the online portal Carbon Brief found China's CO2 emissions fell by 1 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with a year earlier.
Emissions from the energy sector alone - the nation's largest source of greenhouse gases - dropped by 3 per cent during this period.
CREA analyst Qi Qin said China's clean-energy boom was driving both economic growth and decarbonisation, but warned that the continued reliance on coal risks wasting investment.
The Chinese government relies on coal when renewable output is insufficient.
However, CREA criticises Beijing for rarely using coal plants as a flexible backup, pointing out that they are mainly used to increase power when needed, with few incentives or rules to scale them down when demand drops.
In addition to the plants already built, Beijing approved new coal projects with a combined capacity of 25 gigawatts in the first half of 2025, with a further 75 gigawatts in new or revived applications.
Analysts believe developers are rushing to secure approvals before 2030, the year Beijing has pledged to peak its CO2 emissions.
It is still unclear what energy and climate targets Beijing will set in its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030.
As the world's second-largest economy and biggest emitter of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, China is seen as pivotal in international efforts to tackle climate change.
The international community agreed at a climate conference in Glasgow in 2021 to take steps towards a phase down of coal for the sake of the climate.
