A update report released on 3 November by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) shows that several Chinese-backed coal projects have still moved forward despite China’s pledge to stop building new overseas coal plants made in 2021. In Indonesia, multiple captive coal projects linked to metal and mineral processing have advanced: Delong Group’s Delong Nickel Phase IV plant has shifted from not announced into construction and partial operation, PT Halmahera Persada Lygend’s 740 MW captive power station has begun operating, PT Tianshan Alumina has secured permits for a 160 MW plant, and Hongshi Silikon has entered the pre-permit stage with a massive 2,000 MW proposal. These developments come alongside ongoing expansion of Indonesia’s wider captive coal fleet, such as the continued growth of coal-fired capacity in the Morowali and Weda Bay industrial parks, where Chinese-owned smelters operate.

Beyond Indonesia, other Chinese-linked projects have also progressed. In Laos, Phonesack Group’s Phonesack Xekong Unit 1 has moved from permitting into construction, adding momentum to a multistage coal complex previously seen as uncertain. In Zimbabwe, the 720 MW Titan Power Project—backed by Huaxi Energy Group and Jin’an Group—has advanced from pre-permit to permitted status and begun early site preparation, while the government continues to court Chinese investors for the stalled Hwange Units 9 and 10 expansion. Additional movement in countries such as Tanzania, Mongolia, and Zambia, where several Chinese-associated plants have newly entered the "permitted" category, further signals an ongoing expansion of coal-linked industrial infrastructure despite the 2021 pledge.

Taken together, these advancing projects, dominated by private Chinese firms and concentrated in industrial parks, risk to lock in major future CO₂ emissions and intensify local pollution burdens for nearby communities. CREA warns of reinforcing structural dependence on coal at a time when host countries urgently need clean energy alternatives. As CREA notes, the continued growth of captive and off-grid coal projects—especially those powering mining, smelting, and heavy industry—directly contradicts the spirit of China’s overseas coal de-commission pledge and undermines Beijing’s stated ambition to promote a genuinely “green” Belt and Road.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Center had reached out to Hongshi Group, Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry Company, Tianshan Aluminum Group, China Western Power Industrial Company, Shandong Dingneng New Energy Company, Lygend Resources, Bank of Jiangsu, Sinosure and Jiangsu Huihong International Group Zhongding Holding Co. to respond on the related allegations. The companies did not respond.