Japan vs South Africa: Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating

Japan
47,872
in 2020
South Africa
41,904
in 2020
Japan rank
4th
South Africa rank
7th

Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating over time

  • Japan
  • South Africa
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k201420172020

How they compare

Japan currently reports 47,872 against 41,904 in South Africa, a difference of 5,968.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 7th of 75 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 45,537 40,785 4,752 Japan
2020s 47,872 41,904 5,968 Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating, Japan or South Africa?
Japan, at 47,872 against 41,904 in South Africa as of 2020.
What is the difference in total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating between Japan and South Africa?
5,968, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
7 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2020.
How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating?
Japan ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 7th of 75 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor. Available at: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/, published as Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs South Africa: Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating. Statizoid, drawing on Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor. Available at: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/total-coal-capacity-by-plant-status-mw-operating/japan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating
Source
Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor. Available at: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
75 places, 521 data points, 2014–2020
Last refreshed

Total coal capacity by plant status is generated from the Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT). The GCPT provides information on coal-fired power units from around the world generating 30 megawatts and above. The GCPT catalogues every operating coal-fired generating unit, every new unit proposed since 2010, and every unit retired since 2000. Units often consist of a boiler and turbine, and several units may make up one coal-fired power station. The map and underlying data is updated bi-annually, in January and July. Each plant included in the tracker is linked to a wiki page on GEM.wiki, which provides additional details. GCPT was accessed in July 2021 to generate this data.