China's thermal power generation saw a significant increase of 8.9% in September 2024 compared to the same month last year, reaching 545.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This growth outpaced the overall rise in power generation, which increased by 6% to 802.4 billion kWh.
Thermal power, primarily sourced from coal with some input from gas-fired plants, has been a key contributor to the country's energy supply. In contrast, hydropower generation dropped by 14.6% year-on-year, producing 119.9 billion kWh in September.
From January to September, thermal power output rose by 1.9% to 4.74 trillion kWh, while total power generation grew by 5.4% over the same period, reflecting China's continued reliance on coal as hydropower struggled with lower output.
The NBS data includes power generation from industrial enterprises with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.8 million).
