China aims to double its wind and solar capacity by 2025, according to a new
road map that also allows for more coal-fired power plants to bolster energy
security.
اضافة اعلان
The world's biggest polluter earlier estimated it needs to double wind and
solar use by 2030 to deliver on its pledges under the Paris climate accord.
The latest plan -- if implemented -- means China might reach that goal
earlier.
But Beijing has also ramped up reliance on coal-fired power plants in recent
months to support its ailing economy as the Ukraine war pushes up global energy
prices.
The country's central economic planner said 33 percent of power supply to
the national grid will come from renewable sources by 2025, up from 29 percent
in 2020, in a document released Wednesday.
"In 2025, the annual power generation from renewable energy will reach
about 3.3 trillion kilowatt-hours... and the wind power and solar power
generation will double," the plan said.
China, already the world's largest producer of renewable energy, has
accelerated investment in solar and wind projects to tackle
pollution at home, which researchers say kills millions every year.
Beijing has pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by
2060.
Investment in solar energy nearly tripled in the first four months of the
year to 29 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) compared with January to April
investment in the previous year, data from the National Energy Administration
shows.
But China's energy policy has remained a two-headed beast, with the country
burning about half the coal used globally each year to power its economy.
Policymakers further embraced coal as the Ukraine war pushed up prices
of oil and natural gas.
Premier Li Keqiang said coal underpinned China's energy security in an
emergency meeting last week to address economic woes, and the central bank has
approved a $15 billion credit line to fund coal mining and coal-fired plants.
In March, the cabinet ordered miners to dig up 300 million tons
of extra coal this year.
Local governments started building new power plants last year that will
boost capacity from coal by the most since 2016, after an energy crunch
paralysed swathes of the economy.
Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and
Clean Air, said "energy security -- avoiding another energy shortage and
managing geopolitical risks -- is the overwhelming priority" for China
with the economic outlook uncertain.
The latest energy plan says renewables will supply "50 percent of the growth
in power consumption" to 2025, lower than previous official estimates and
signalling more room to expand coal power.
"The planners are projecting, or preparing for, faster demand growth
which would see fossil fuel use and emissions still increase," Myllyvirta
said.
Read More Region & World
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
