In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers led by An K., Zheng X., and Shen J. from prominent Chinese institutions has introduced a transformative vision for China’s energy future that could fundamentally reshape global climate action. Their work centers on the strategic repositioning of coal power within China’s electricity grid to expedite the nation’s Net-Zero transition, offering a nuanced blueprint that challenges the conventional narratives surrounding coal’s role in decarbonization efforts. This research sheds light on previously underexplored pathways, integrating advanced energy system modeling with policy analysis to recalibrate coal’s operational paradigm from a climate liability into a dynamic enabler of clean energy integration.
Over the past decades, coal-fired power plants have been the backbone of China’s rapid industrial and economic growth, providing the majority of its electricity supply. However, coal combustion is also the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions globally, attributing a significant share to China’s overall carbon footprint. While the global consensus increasingly advocates for coal phase-out, the authors argue that an outright and immediate abandonment of coal could inadvertently destabilize the reliability of China’s expansive power network, especially given the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Their study is pioneering in that it does not advocate for the wholesale elimination of coal but proposes a precise repositioning that aligns coal’s operational characteristics with the grid’s evolving demands.
The research deploys high-resolution, hourly power system simulations spanning multiple decades to explore how coal plants can pivot from baseload generation toward more flexible operational modes. By enhancing the dispatchability of coal units—adjusting output dynamically in response to fluctuating renewable supply—they envision a coal fleet that acts in concert with variable renewables. This strategy reduces curtailment of clean energy and minimizes reliance on fossil generation during peak renewable production periods. It essentially transforms coal plants into flexible backup resources that support grid stability without compromising emission reduction targets.
Central to their findings is the concept of "coal power repositioning," a paradigm that leverages advanced technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), co-firing with biomass, and retrofitting plants for rapid ramp-up and ramp-down capability. By integrating CCS, coal plants can significantly curtail their carbon footprint even when operational, aligning with China’s ambitious carbon neutrality pledges slated for 2060. Furthermore, co-firing introduces renewable biomass fuels that lower net emissions. These technological innovations, combined with demand-side management and energy storage growth, compose a multifaceted approach designed to maximize coal asset utility in an increasingly decarbonized system.
The implications extend beyond technical feasibility into policy design. The authors advocate for regulatory reforms that incentivize operational flexibility, such as modifying capacity market structures to reward grid-compatible plant behaviors rather than mere megawatt outputs. Such regulatory shifts could accelerate coal plant modernization while incentivizing renewables integration. They also emphasize the critical role of regional coordination within China’s vast and heterogeneous power grids, where differing renewable potentials and demand profiles necessitate tailored repositioning strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Another profound insight relates to the temporal sequencing of coal repositioning. The study predicts that immediate, uncoordinated coal phase-outs may be counterproductive, potentially leading to increased reliance on natural gas or energy imports, both of which bear their own environmental and geopolitical risks. Instead, a phased approach where coal flexibility is first enhanced, supported by concurrent expansion of renewables and storage infrastructure, ensures a smoother, more reliable transition. The timing of CCS deployment is also discussed, underscoring the need for early investment to align technological maturation with grid reinforcement.
The authors utilize a comprehensive techno-economic framework that incorporates fuel price projections, carbon pricing scenarios, and investment cost trajectories for clean technologies. Their modeling reveals that repositioning coal power in this adaptive manner can reduce overall system costs by up to 15% compared with rapid phase-out pathways while achieving carbon reduction targets. This cost saving emerges from avoided infrastructure overbuild and improved utilization of existing assets, underscoring the economic prudence embedded within their approach.
Beyond national borders, this study’s insights resonate globally, especially in other coal-dependent emerging economies such as India and Southeast Asia. The framework and tools developed offer a replicable methodology for balancing decarbonization ambitions with grid reliability concerns, recognizing the real-world constraints of energy transitions in developing contexts. This reimagining of coal power’s role could catalyze a broader, more pragmatic dialogue about the pathways to global Net-Zero goals.
The in-depth analysis includes consideration of social and environmental externalities. While coal repositioning reduces emissions, legacy issues such as air pollution and local health impacts remain pressing challenges. The research team calls for complementary environmental policies to mitigate these impacts in tandem with technological adaptations, highlighting that repositioning coal power is not a panacea but part of an integrated transition strategy requiring cross-sector collaboration.
Importantly, the study also engages with public sentiment and political dynamics, recognizing that energy transitions are not purely technical endeavors but depend heavily on societal acceptance and governance frameworks. By providing a roadmap that aligns economic incentives, technological capabilities, and environmental targets, the research teams contribute crucial knowledge that can inform more socially equitable and politically viable policies, addressing resistance from communities and labor sectors reliant on coal economies.
The authors employed a multipronged data-driven approach, utilizing machine learning algorithms to optimize plant dispatch schedules and incorporating stochastic modeling to accommodate uncertainties in renewable generation and demand forecasts. This rigorous computational approach enhances the robustness of their scenarios, offering stakeholders high confidence in the viability and resilience of repositioned coal power frameworks under a variety of future conditions.
Overall, the study marks a seminal contribution to the literature on energy system decarbonization, challenging simplistic narratives by offering an innovative, technically grounded strategy that repositions an entrenched fossil fuel within a net-zero framework. Its emphasis on flexibility, staged implementation, and policy integration makes the coal repositioning model not only visionary but eminently actionable.
As governments and industry actors worldwide intensify efforts to meet ambitious climate targets, the findings of An, Zheng, Shen, and colleagues provide critical evidence that energy transitions can and must be tailored to the unique contexts of different nations. Their work exemplifies how advanced modeling and creative policy design can unlock pathways previously deemed impractical, setting a new standard for how coal-dependent economies might reconcile industrial legacies with sustainable futures.
The research invites a reconsideration of coal power’s potential as a transitional technology rather than an unequivocal adversary in climate policy. By reconceiving coal as a flexible partner in grid decarbonization, this approach paves the way for more resilient and economically sound energy transitions. Its implications will likely provoke substantial discussion across scientific, policy, and industrial arenas, making it one of the most significant contributions to energy transition discourse in recent years.
It is anticipated that further studies will build upon this framework, incorporating emerging technologies such as hydrogen co-firing and advanced carbon utilization techniques. As the global community accelerates Net-Zero commitments, the methodologies and insights provided by this study will be invaluable for crafting pragmatic, effective strategies across diverse energy landscapes.
In summary, the repositioning of coal power as articulated in this research offers a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach to tackling the dual challenges of climate change mitigation and energy security in China. This study exemplifies how innovation and meticulous policy design can transform seemingly intractable problems into opportunities, charting a hopeful course toward a sustainable energy future.
Subject of Research: The strategic repositioning of coal-fired power plants to accelerate the net-zero transition of China’s power system through enhanced flexibility, technological retrofits, and integrated policy measures.
Article Title: Repositioning coal power to accelerate net-zero transition of China’s power system.
Article References:
An, K., Zheng, X., Shen, J. et al. Repositioning coal power to accelerate net-zero transition of China’s power system. Nat Commun 16, 2311 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57559-2
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