National Energy Group: New-Generation Coal-Fired Power Solution

In February 2026, the National Energy Administration officially announced the first batch of pilot projects for enhancing the construction capacity of a new-type power system. This move marks that China's energy sector reform has marched into the "deep-water zone".

Among the high-profile 43 pilot projects, "new-generation coal-fired power", as a key cornerstone supporting the accommodation of high-proportion new energy, has become one of the core highlights of this pilot program.

As an industry leader, China Energy Investment Corporation (National Energy Group) has secured 4 new-generation coal-fired power pilot quotas—Guoneng Changzhou, Guoneng Qingyuan, Guoneng Hami, and Guoneng Chenjiagang. This is not only an authoritative certification of the technical strength of the "national team", but also sends a strong signal: in the grand narrative of building a new energy system, coal-fired power is accelerating its in-depth transformation from a main power source to a basic guarantee and system regulation power source. A technological revolution centered on efficiency, flexibility and low-carbonization is in full swing.

From "High Parameters" to "Intelligence"

The core of the so-called "new-generation coal-fired power" lies in breaking through the physical limits of traditional technologies. For a long time, the industry's exploration of coal-fired power transformation has often faced the embarrassment of "being praised but not popular": either the technology is too advanced leading to uncontrollable costs, or the application scenario is too single to be replicated.

The 4 pilot projects of National Energy Group have accurately targeted the three mainstream forms (new construction, under construction, in-service) and three major regions (western, eastern, southern) of China's coal-fired power, constructing a three-dimensional transformation coordinate system. It has broken the limitation of "demonstration potted landscape" and provided a set of executable solutions covering all scenarios.

Take Guoneng Changzhou Power Plant as an example. Its double reheat technology represents the latest achievement of coal-fired power technology developing towards high efficiency and low carbon. Chen Jing, spokesperson of National Energy Group, told reporters that by adding one stage of reheat cycle, the thermal efficiency of the unit has been significantly improved and coal consumption has been greatly reduced.

Driven by the "dual carbon" goals, this pursuit of ultimate efficiency is the most direct path for coal-fired power to achieve its own carbon reduction.

The connotation of new-generation coal-fired power goes far beyond this. Combined with industry trends and the layout of National Energy Group, this round of technological breakthroughs emphasizes the in-depth integration of "intelligence" and "flexibility".

The new-type power system requires coal-fired power to have the ability to operate stably at extremely low loads to fill the fluctuation gap of wind and solar power generation. The pilot projects of National Energy Group generally have deep peak regulation capacity, able to operate stably at 20%-30% or even lower loads while maintaining high efficiency and environmental protection.

Relying on the industrial chain advantages in coal and power sectors, National Energy Group's new-generation coal-fired power is introducing big data and AI large models to achieve millisecond-level precise control of the combustion process, ensuring safety and economy under frequent load-changing conditions.

These pilot projects are not only upgrades of generator units, but also "technical benchmarks" set by National Energy Group for the industry, proving that traditional thermal power can still maintain vigorous vitality and competitiveness through technological innovation.

From "Power Supply" to "System Support"

If technological upgrading is the "hard power" of new-generation coal-fired power, then the transformation of functional positioning is the embodiment of its "soft power". The 4 projects selected by National Energy Group this time profoundly interpret the fundamental reshaping of coal-fired power's role in the new-type power system—from a simple "power provider" to a "system regulator" and "safety guardian".

In new energy-rich areas such as Hami, the role of coal-fired power is particularly critical. As a national large-scale wind and photovoltaic power base, Xinjiang faces huge pressure on power accommodation and outward transmission. The "new-generation coal-fired power" here no longer pursues full-load operation, but serves as a "stabilizer" and "regulator" for large-scale wind and solar bases. Through bundled outward transmission with new energy, Guoneng Hami uses coal-fired power's rotational inertia to support power grid frequency and fast ramping capability to smooth out new energy fluctuations, thus increasing the proportion of green power transmitted in the entire channel.

In addition, new-generation coal-fired power is breaking the physical boundaries of power plants and extending to integrated energy services.

Multi-energy complementarity: Pilot projects are often integrated with functions such as heating, steam supply and energy storage to realize cascade utilization of energy.

Carbon capture reservation: Many new-generation coal-fired power projects have reserved interfaces for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) at the initial design stage, leaving strategic space for near-zero emissions in the future.

Through these pilots, National Energy Group is exploring a collaborative development path of "coal-fired power + new energy + energy storage + integrated energy services". This not only solves the pain point of new energy accommodation, but also opens up a new profit model for coal-fired power enterprises—from earning money from "kilowatt-hours" to earning money from "regulation capacity" and "capacity services".

From "Single-point Demonstration" to "Global Upgrading"

The pilot layout of National Energy Group is a global upgrading based on the systematic top-level design at the group level.

In July 2025, the group issued the Special Action Implementation Plan for New-Generation Coal-Fired Power Upgrading (2025-2027), promoting the coal-fired power industry to move from "demonstration" to "normalization" through deployment in four dimensions.

Global coverage and targeted policiesNational Energy Group has built a globally covered upgrading roadmap to ensure that every unit has a transformation plan. New units fully benchmark pilot technical indicators; under-construction units carry out whole-process optimization and efficiency improvement; in-service units focus on promoting energy conservation, carbon reduction, flexibility enhancement and intelligent transformation, realizing "all reforms that should be carried out, all optimizations that can be made".

Technical support and independent controllabilityNational Energy Group has sorted out and drawn a technical pedigree of new-generation coal-fired power, and promoted mature pilot solutions in batches. Meanwhile, it accelerates the application of digital technologies such as thermal power large models and intelligent early warning, and promotes multi-path demonstration of low-carbon technologies such as CCUS and green ammonia blending, building a simple, practical and independently controllable technical support system.

Standard leadership and model replicationTo quickly extend pilot achievements to the entire industry, National Energy Group deeply participates in the formulation and revision of national and industrial standards, elevating technically verified indicators and transformation processes to universal standards. Through establishing technical exchange and achievement sharing mechanisms, industrial enterprises can "learn, follow and afford", accelerating the overall transformation of the industry.

Value reconstruction and collaborative integrationNational Energy Group is promoting the transformation of coal-fired power from a single power generation unit to an urban integrated energy service provider. By vigorously promoting the joint development of coal-fired power and new energy, flexible coal-fired power supports the large-scale accommodation of new energy; meanwhile, it actively connects with policy mechanisms such as capacity electricity prices, auxiliary services and carbon markets, converting the regulation value and supply guarantee value of coal-fired power into tangible economic benefits, realizing "profitable transformation, rewarding upgrading and sustainable development".

The release of the first batch of pilot lists has sounded the clarion call for the high-quality development of coal-fired power. With 4 projects as the fulcrum, National Energy Group is leveraging the green transformation of the entire industry. This is not only a technological progress, but also an innovation of development concepts.

When the technological transformation of new-generation coal-fired power truly takes root and transforms into practical productivity, we have reason to believe that coal-fired power will break the dual opposition between ensuring energy security and promoting low-carbon transformation, build a sustainable dynamic balance between the two, embed itself into the texture of the new-type power system as a key supporter, and inject lasting and solid clean momentum into it.