Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much capacity of coal-fired energy plants in megawatts is scheduled to be closed in the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2020; and what assessment they have made of the capacity to be opened in Asia between 2015 and 2020.

Decisions to close power stations are taken by their owners based on market conditions. The owners of coal plants with a combined capacity of 5.8GW have announced their intention to stop generating by March 2016. We are not currently aware of any other coal fired power stations planning to close between 2015 and 2020.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) produces detailed assessments of global and regional energy trends. The IEA’s latest World Energy Outlook projects that of the 1404 GW cumulative increase in generating capacity in Asia between 2014 and 2025, 471 GW will be coal-fired. Renewables are projected to grow by 666 GW. This is against a background of rapidly rising demand for electricity in the region, with consumption expected to grow by more than 40% between 2012 and 2020.