China’s clean energy generation accelerates

• 6 years ago (2017-07-19)
• David Flin

Asia 846 Emissions 57

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The amount of electricity generated from clean energy sources in China has increased by 5.15 per cent year-on-year, equivalent to a 22 million tonne reduction in thermal coal consumption, according to Yan Pengcheng, spokesperson with the National Development and Reform Commission. Yan said that clean energy has accounted for 27.2 per cent of the country’s total power output in the first six months of 2017, up 1.8 per cent from the same period last year.

He said that wind power generated in the January-June period rose 25.7 per cent year-on-year, while solar power jumped 80.3 per cent, and nuclear power was up 20.8 per cent. Yan said that he expected a further rise in clean power output in the coming months when the country’s electricity consumption reaches its seasonal peak, due to a probable increase in hydropower output during the flood season, and a pick-up in wind and solar power development.

He predicted that up to 30 per cent of China’s total power output this summer would be clean power, helping to reduce thermal power generation by nearly 40 TWh, and thermal coal consumption by around 18 million tons between July and September.

Official figures indicate that China’s power output increased 6.3 per cent year-on-year to 2,960 TWh in the first half of 2017. China has pledged to cut carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and raise the share of non-fossil energy use in total consumption to about 20 per cent.