A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping cross-border energy finance, yet empirical assessment remains constrained by fragmented reporting and limited disclosure of financing terms. To address these critical gaps, we present a comprehensive, project-level dataset of 412 BRI power sector investments from 2013 to 2023. The dataset harmonises records from four major public sources and documents key technical attributes and financial parameters. Its distinctive contribution is the systematic inclusion of loan terms (interest rates, maturities, and grace periods), recorded from public documentation and transparently imputed when absent. Constructed through a documented process of merging, cross-validation, and reconciliation against primary evidence, the dataset preserves full provenance and includes explicit flags to denote uncertain values. This work supplies a robust evidence base for granular analysis of technology mix, spatial patterns (particularly along the BRI's economic corridors), and debt service profiles, enabling a more rigorous evaluation of the BRI's implications for global energy finance, debt sustainability, and climate objectives.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Data
Published
2026-01-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06487-3
Primary Topic
Global Energy Security and Policy
Type
article
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article

A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023

Raimund Bleischwitz, Ge Yin, Alvaro Calzadilla
Scientific Data
Global Energy Security and Policy
article

A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023

Raimund Bleischwitz, Ge Yin, Alvaro Calzadilla
article en

Abstract

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping cross-border energy finance, yet empirical assessment remains constrained by fragmented reporting and limited disclosure of financing terms. To address these critical gaps, we present a comprehensive, project-level dataset of 412 BRI power sector investments from 2013 to 2023. The dataset harmonises records from four major public sources and documents key technical attributes and financial parameters. Its distinctive contribution is the systematic inclusion of loan terms (interest rates, maturities, and grace periods), recorded from public documentation and transparently imputed when absent. Constructed through a documented process of merging, cross-validation, and reconciliation against primary evidence, the dataset preserves full provenance and includes explicit flags to denote uncertain values. This work supplies a robust evidence base for granular analysis of technology mix, spatial patterns (particularly along the BRI's economic corridors), and debt service profiles, enabling a more rigorous evaluation of the BRI's implications for global energy finance, debt sustainability, and climate objectives.

Scientific DataVol. 13(1)
Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (DE), University College of Osteopathy (GB), Centre for Sustainable Energy (GB), University College London (GB)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Global Energy Security and Policy
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