The global coal mine pipeline reached 2,521 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) across 834 proposed projects in 2025, expanding nearly 11% despite slowing coal demand and declining coal-fired electricity generation, according to Global Energy Monitor’s Global Coal Mine Tracker Briefing 2026.
Coal demand grew by less than 0.5% in 2025 and is expected to plateau through 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. Coal-fired electricity generation declined 0.6% during the same period, while wind and solar power together overtook coal in global electricity generation for the first time. Yet the global coal mine pipeline continued to grow, widening the gap between planned supply and actual demand.
China and India Lead Proposed Coal Capacity
China continues to hold the largest share of the global coal mine pipeline, with 1,321 Mtpa of proposed capacity. This accounts for more than half the worldwide total and exceeds the proposed capacity of all other countries combined. China’s proposed coal mine development remained relatively flat year on year.
India, on the other hand, recorded the sharpest increase. Its proposed coal mining capacity nearly doubled from 329 Mtpa in 2024 to 638 Mtpa in 2025, accounting for nearly all of the annual growth in the global coal mine pipeline. The surge was largely linked to Jharkhand and Odisha, where proposed mine projects doubled.
India’s Ministry of Coal set a target of nearly 1.15 billion tonnes of raw coal production for FY2025-26, citing growing energy requirements from heatwaves, economic growth and energy-security concerns. More than 20 new coal mines with combined capacity above 80 Mtpa were planned to be operationalised.
Five Countries Dominate the Global Pipeline
Coal mine development is increasingly concentrated in a handful of nations. China, India, Australia, Russia and South Africa together account for nearly 92% of proposed global coal capacity, equivalent to about 2,314 Mtpa of the 2,521 Mtpa total. Their combined share rose from 89% in 2024.
Around three-quarters of proposed capacity across the global coal mine pipeline consists of greenfield mines rather than expansions of existing operations. In India, greenfield projects account for roughly 80% of proposed capacity, underlining the scale of new coal mine development being planned.
New Mine Development Slows Despite Larger Pipeline
While the proposed pipeline expanded, actual coal mine commissioning moved in the opposite direction. Only around 113 Mtpa of new coal mining capacity entered operation in 2025, nearly 40% lower than the 185 Mtpa added in 2024. This marked a new decade low for coal mine commissioning.
The report noted that the gap between slowing demand and expanding project pipelines raises concerns about future project economics and the possibility of stranded assets. The disconnect between the growing global coal mine pipeline and weakening market fundamentals suggests that a significant portion of proposed capacity may face economic headwinds in the years ahead.