The rate at which China is installing coal-fired plants is alarming green activitists considering the country's pollution problems and its committment to renewable energy. China allegedly issued up to 155 permits for coal-fired power plants in the first nine months of this year; a move that has attracted severe criticisms from environmental activists, who say officials must act now to curb high levels of pollution.

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Just outside the southwest border of Beijing, in Dongxianpo, a rural village in Hebei province,  there is a rising coal-fired power and heating plant. Cement mixers are already on site and graders and cranes have not been left behind.

As soon as the plant gets finished, it will get run by a Beijing government-owned company, New York Times reported. It is expected to have a power generating capacity of 700 megawatts. Despite an investment of $580 million, it is still unclear if the plant will be used to its maximum.

The facility is scheduled to begin operating within three years amid an excess of coal-fired plants. The total capacity of the 155 coal-plants approved this year in China equals 40 percent of the current operational coal power plants in the United States.

The rapid growth of coal plants has sparked worries especially as the whole world is eagerly moving to greener energy sources.

Although last year China's coal output reduced after five years of constant growth, coal energy still accounts for a big share - 66 percent - of the country's energy consumption, Irish Times reported.

To be explicit, the reduction in coal was accompanied by an increase in power production from wind, hydropower, gas and nuclear sources, along with slower power consumption growth.

Nevertheless, more and more companies are moving to invest into coal power plants since many large economies are built on investing in such infrastructure, Energy Desk reported.

Analysts say coal-powered plants will likely experience an overcapacity problem with an added burden of China's public debt and environmental degradation.

TagsChina coal, China's Coal plants, China's Energy, china's economy, China's pollution