China Energy Monitor

At 1,038 TWh, July 2026 demand rose 2.9 percent year-on-year, covered almost entirely by domestic generation with a supply gap of barely 2 TWh. Solar reached 158 TWh for the first time, drawing level with hydro, while coal's monthly share edged back up to 51 percent after falling below 50 percent in the first half. The driving disruption remains the Hormuz crisis: since the Iran war erupted in late February, crude oil imports fell 13.2 percent in cumulative terms through July. The month itself showed a partial recovery to 35.7 million tonnes, still roughly 41 percent below the prior year. Coal imports rose 4.3 percent year-to-date as domestic production dropped 10.1 percent in July alone.