Overview
- State-owned China Datang has restarted work on the long-stalled Fuxin plant in Liaoning, with a local newspaper citing the project's general manager saying the facility is being prepared to come online.
- The Fuxin project began in 2011 with an estimated $3.7 billion cost and was suspended three years later over environmental, cost, and technical problems, according to reports citing Bloomberg.
- Officials and analysts link the revival to recent disruptions to Middle East gas infrastructure tied to the war involving Iran, which heightened China’s exposure to imported fuel.
- Consultancy OilChem says as many as 13 coal-to-gas projects now planned or underway could raise synthetic gas output to about 52 billion cubic meters, or roughly 12% of China’s current gas supply, if completed.
- Bloomberg reporting cited by industry outlets notes construction for such plants can take up to five years, and Global Energy Monitor adds that China could also bring as many as 85 coal-fired power units online in 2026.