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.
Yin G., Calzadilla A. and Bleischwitz R. (2026) A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023. Scientific Data 13: 169. 10.1038/s41597-025-06487-3
@article{Yin2026,
Title = {A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023},
Author = {Yin, Ge and Calzadilla, Alvaro and Bleischwitz, Raimund},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Scientific Data},
Year = {2026},
Pages = {169},
Volume = {13},
Doi = {10.1038/s41597-025-06487-3},
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.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Yin, Ge
AU - Calzadilla, Alvaro
AU - Bleischwitz, Raimund
TI - A project-level dataset of Chinese Belt and Road energy investments 2013–2023
T2 - Scientific Data
PY - 2026
SP - 169
VL - 13
DO - 10.1038/s41597-025-06487-3
AB - 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.
ER -
