Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 07 2021

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

China plans to raise green

purchases to 40% by 2030

CHINA CHINA’S National Energy Administration away from the construction boom of large-scale
(NEA) is to force regional grid firms to buy at hydroelectric projects in recent years.
least 40% of power from non-fossil fuel sources In December, Xi also said that China will
by 2030 in order to meet the country’s climate expand its installed capacity of wind and solar
targets, Reuters reported. power to more than 1,200 GW by 2030.
Grid companies bought 28.2% of their power The targets set out in the NEA document
from clean generation sources in 2020, and the are based on estimates that China’s total power
NEA wants this figure to increase to 40% by consumption will reach 11 trillion kWh and pri-
2030. mary energy consumption will hit 6bn tonnes of
The new draft policy is part of the govern- standard coal equivalent by 2030, according to
ment’s efforts to make China “carbon neutral” by the policy draft.
2060, as President Xi Jinping announced in 2020. China’s renewable energy law compels local
He then said in December that China would grid firms to “fully acquire” all power generated
boost the share of non-fossil fuels in primary by renewable sources.
energy consumption to around 25% by 2030 But grids have been accused of prioritising
from a previous commitment of 20%. coal-fired power, and inadequate transmis-
“To ensure President Xi’s climate targets sion capacity has also hindered the uptake of
... (China) will set more stringent targets for renewables.
non-fossil fuel consumption,” the NEA said. China built 38.4 GW of new coal-fired power
Power procured from non-hydropower capacity in 2020, more than three times the rest
renewable sources will reach a minimum of of the world.
25.9% by 2030, up from 10.8% last year, accord- However, China’s state utilities, including
ing to the draft plan, which has been opened up China Huadian, China Huaneng Group and
for consultation with stakeholders until Febru- State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC), have
ary 26. promised to improve their clean energy portfo-
The targets suggest China will rely on solar lio. ™
and wind to meet its renewable goals, and move

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 07 17•February•2021