A new survey shows that South Korea was No. 3 in the world last year in terms of increasing its coal-fired power production capacity. 

Solutions for Our Climate, a Seoul-based civic group, on Tuesday announced the results of its joint research with nine environmental groups and think tanks at home and abroad, which found the net capacity of coal-fired power production across the world rose nearly 10 percent last year from a year before. 

While the combined capacity of coal-fired power plants that began test operation around the world last year stood at 45 gigawatts, the capacity of those shut down last year came to 26-point-eight gigawatts in total. The net production capacity came to an increase of 18-point-two gigawatts. 

Fifty-six percent of the newly gained production capacity, or 25-point-two gigawatts, was from China, while India and South Korea added six-point-four gigawatts and three-point-one gigawatts, respectively. 

Solutions for Our Climate pointed out that among the five countries in the world that expanded their coal-power production capacity last year, South Korea was the only member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD).  Three coal power plants in South Korea launched commercial operations last year. 

The group also criticized Seoul over its earlier announcement that it would suspend financing for new overseas coal power projects, saying funding for the country’s existing coal power plants or projects remain immune to the plan.