According to Zhang Jianhua, who serves as the head of the National Energy Administration, China’s discovery and use of renewable energy will remain world-leading by the completion of 2020, setting a stable base for the country’s energy transformation to green as well as low-carbon. According to Zhang, China’s installed new-energy ability would surpass 930 million kilowatts by the completion of 2020, responsible for 42.4 percent of the nation’s overall installed power production capacity.
As per Zhang, wind power 280 million kilowatts, hydropower hit 370 million kilowatts, and photovoltaic (PV) 250 million kilowatts, respectively, ranked first in the world for 16 years, 11 years, and six years and 11 years. Meanwhile, green energy produced 2.2 trillion kilowatt-hours in China in 2020, responsible for 29.5 percent of the entire society’s overall electricity last year. This represents a 9.5-percentage-point rise from 2012.
China has also continued to broaden foreign collaboration in the field to aid in the fight against global warming. According to Zhang, China’s hydropower facilities are spread through several countries and territories, and Chinese firms supply over 70% of PV equipment to the foreign sector. Simultaneously, China’s expenditure in sustainable energy ventures in regions and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proceeds to rise, and the country aggressively promotes advanced green energy technology in developing countries, he added, to add China’s wisdom and power to the BRI’s joint construction.
According to Zhang, China intends to increase new-energy installed capacity to surpass 50% of overall installed power generation capability by completing the 14th Five Year Plan term (2021-25) to meet carbon emissions peak about 2030 as well as to attain carbon neutrality by 2060. When questioned whether the nation’s coal supply can be assured this year, Zhang responded that a reliable energy supply could be efficiently assured, with no possible shortage. He stated, “We are positive and capable of meeting the nation’s energy demand.”
China’s energy requirements have grown rapidly as a result of years of rapid economic development. China has surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest oil consumer, coal consumer and producer, and carbon dioxide emitter. China’s massive manufacturing-centered economy has been predominantly driven by coal over the past half-century.
China’s coal use nearly quadrupled from about 527 metric tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 1990 to about 1,951 Mtoe in 2019. Coal accounted for 57.7% of China’s electricity consumption in 2019. China has used more coal than the majority of the world combined since 2011. China’s manufacturing industry is the world’s primary coal producer. In 2018, China’s manufacturing sector absorbed almost two-thirds of the country’s overall energy usage and over 95 percent of the nation’s coal.