Beijing slashes coal consumption to below 1 percent

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Beijing, capital of China, has reduced the share of coal in its total energy consumption to less than 1 percent, signaling a landmark green energy transformation, the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission said on Friday.

The city's coal consumption had plummeted from 21.8 million tonnes in 2012 to under 600,000 tonnes in 2024, cutting coal's role in the energy mix to under 1 percent, said Yang Xiuling, the commission's director.

This shift is attributed to aggressive renewable energy adoption and coal replacement policies, Yang noted.

In 2024, green electricity comprised 29.3 percent of Beijing's total power consumption, supplying 40.7 billion kWh out of the 138.9 billion kWh used citywide.

Natural gas accounted for one-third of Beijing's total energy consumption last year, with supply reaching 19.5 billion cubic meters, contributing to dramatic air quality improvements.

Notably, annual PM2.5 levels had dropped by 65.9 percent from 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 to 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ■