Philippines’ Dependency on Coal-Fired Power Exceeds China and Indonesia

The Philippines has surpassed Indonesia and China to become one of the world’s top ten economies most reliant on coal-fired power, according to data from energy think tank Ember. This milestone highlights the significant challenges the country faces in achieving its green energy goals.

The share of coal in the Philippines’ electricity generation has increased for the fifteenth consecutive year in 2023, despite a target to reduce dependence on the fuel to less than half of total power output by 2030.

Kosovo had the highest coal dependence in 2023, with 88.21% of its power sourced from coal. Mongolia, South Africa, India, and Kazakhstan followed, with the Philippines ranking 7th. In 2023, coal accounted for 61.92% of all electricity generated in the Philippines, up from 59.07% in 2022. This marks the highest increase in coal dependence since 2016.

The Philippines aims to double its solar additions and triple its wind capacity by 2030, with a focus on developing offshore wind farms. Despite this, coal remains the preferred fuel in Indonesia, which ranks 8th in coal dependence.

China fell out of the top 10 in 2023 due to rapid renewable energy expansion, although it remains the largest overall generator of coal-fired power, followed by India.

“Both Indonesia and the Philippines lag behind other countries in the ASEAN region in their wind and solar deployment,” Ember stated. The two countries have faced challenges in boosting renewable capacity due to the high costs involved.

Indonesia has become the world’s fifth-largest generator of coal-fired power, with an average growth rate of 7.1% over eight years, surpassing South Korea for the first time. This growth included overtaking Australia in 2018, Germany in 2019, Russia in 2020, and South Africa in 2022.