{"id":72161,"date":"2026-09-23T23:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T03:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/china-slashes-overseas-coal-ambitions-as-thailand-faces-solar-adoption-hurdles\/72161\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T23:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T03:38:18","slug":"china-slashes-overseas-coal-ambitions-as-thailand-faces-solar-adoption-hurdles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/china-slashes-overseas-coal-ambitions-as-thailand-faces-solar-adoption-hurdles\/72161\/","title":{"rendered":"China Slashes Overseas Coal Ambitions as Thailand Faces Solar Adoption Hurdles"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>China has scrapped two-thirds of its planned overseas coal power plants<\/strong>, a move estimated to save <strong>6.4 billion tonnes of potential carbon emissions<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thailand\u2019s 50-billion-baht (US$1.5 billion) solar scheme<\/strong> faces headwinds as high upfront costs\u2014ranging from <strong>100,000 to 200,000 baht<\/strong>\u2014deter lower-income households.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China\u2019s overseas energy shift<\/strong> aligns with its 2021 pledge to end new coal financing abroad, signaling a definitive pivot toward green energy exports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thailand aims to install 5 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity<\/strong> across 1 million households to reduce reliance on expensive imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>China Abandons Majority of Overseas Coal Projects<\/h2>\n<p>In a significant shift for global energy markets, <strong>China has officially dropped two-thirds of its planned coal power plants abroad<\/strong>. This massive scale-back follows President Xi Jinping\u2019s 2021 commitment to halt the construction of new coal-fired projects overseas. According to recent reports, the cancellation of these projects has prevented approximately <strong>6.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide<\/strong> from entering the atmosphere, though analysts note that the momentum of these cutbacks slowed slightly over the past year.<\/p>\n<p>The retreat from coal is reshaping China\u2019s role in the <em>Belt and Road Initiative<\/em>, moving the focus from heavy industrial infrastructure to &quot;small and beautiful&quot; green energy projects. This transition is also reflected domestically; while solar is poised to overtake coal as China&#39;s largest source of installed power, the country faces internal challenges with grid absorption. Reports indicate that <strong>360 terawatt-hours of wind and solar electricity<\/strong> were curtailed in the first half of 2026 due to infrastructure bottlenecks, a <strong>49% increase year-on-year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>High Costs Stall Thailand\u2019s Solar Ambitions<\/h2>\n<p>While China retreats from coal, Thailand is struggling to accelerate its solar transition. The Thai government recently proposed a <strong>50-billion-baht (US$1.5 billion) rooftop solar support scheme<\/strong> targeting 1 million households. However, the program is meeting resistance from smaller users who remain hesitant due to high initial investment requirements. A standard rooftop system can cost between <strong>100,000 and 200,000 baht (US$3,000 to US$6,000)<\/strong>, a price point that remains out of reach for many despite government subsidies.<\/p>\n<p>To bridge this gap, the Thai government is offering a <strong>50,000-baht subsidy per household<\/strong> and personal income tax deductions of up to <strong>200,000 baht<\/strong> for systems up to 10 kWp. Despite these incentives, the <em>actual cash savings<\/em> for lower-income families are modest, often covering only a fraction of the total cost. The scheme is part of a broader strategy to shield the economy from volatile global energy prices and reduce the burden on state utilities like the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (<strong>EGAT<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<h2>Market Implications and the Green Energy Pivot<\/h2>\n<p>The dual developments in China and Thailand highlight the <em>complex financial realities<\/em> of the global energy transition. For China, the move away from overseas coal creates a vacuum that its domestic renewable energy giants are eager to fill. Companies like Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) (<a href=\"\/stock\/300750\">300750<\/a>) are increasingly looking to international markets to supply the battery storage systems necessary for grid stability as coal projects are phased out.<\/p>\n<p>In Thailand, the success of the solar scheme is critical for long-term energy security. The country\u2019s solar equipment imports surged <strong>88.7% year-on-year<\/strong> in early 2026, with <strong>99.3% of those imports originating from China<\/strong>. If Thailand can overcome the &quot;affordability wall&quot; for smaller users, it could unlock up to <strong>10 GW of distributed solar capacity<\/strong>, significantly altering the regional energy landscape and providing a massive market for Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways China has scrapped two-thirds of its planned overseas coal power plants, a move estimated to save 6.4 billion 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