SCIO briefing on China's renewable energy development
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 2, 2021
Xing Huina:
Now you can raise your hands and ask questions.
National Business Daily:
The goal of carbon neutrality will promote the large-scale development and utilization of renewable energy. The growing scale of renewable energy installations and electricity generating capacity has highlighted concern over how to avoid wastage of wind and solar power capacities. How will the NEA ensure the safeguard mechanism for electricity consumption? Thank you.
Zhang Jianhua:
Mr. Huang Xuenong will take the question.
Huang Xuenong:
This is a very good question. We are promoting renewable energy under the carbon peak and neutrality strategy. However, the huge waste from wind and solar power generation capacities cannot be ignored. For this reason, people from all sectors of society are very concerned about the consumption of renewable energy. In recent years, the mismatch between the development of new energy and the consumption capacity of the power system gave rise to prominent waste problems from wind and solar power. Starting in 2018, the NEA formulated a three-year action plan for clean energy consumption. From 2018 to 2020, the waste from wind and solar power has declined year by year, and the utilization rate of wind and photovoltaic power has increased significantly. By 2020, the wind power utilization rate had reached 97%, and solar power stood at 98%. When compared with other countries around the world, these are globally leading rates.
Next, we will promote new energy as the main source of electricity supply to realize the objectives of the carbon peak and neutrality strategy. We will develop new electricity systems and take various measures to ensure high-levels of renewable energy consumption. The NEA will take the following three measures:
First, we will coordinate and improve the layout of new energy development. While meeting the demands for carbon peak and neutrality, taking into account local conditions of new energy resources in different regions, including land construction conditions, and especially making full use of the relatively large consumption capacity for new energy in central and eastern regions, we will step up efforts to boost local development and the utilization of new energy. In western and northern regions, where new energy resources are concentrated, we should scientifically plan and establish a group of power supply bases and power transmission channels that are dominated by new energy so as to realize the optimal overall configuration of new energy power.
Second, we should enhance the flexible adjustment capacity of the electric power system, which connects power generation and electricity users. In the past, our power generation facilities would adjust to meet customer demand, with power generation, electricity transmission and utilization all done simultaneously. The situation changed after large-scale new energy was connected to the grid. New energy generation is dependent on the weather, while users need reliable electricity supply. Integrating and connecting these two sides requires construction of a new type of power system to provide the ability for flexible adjustment to allow better consumption of new energy. In terms of power generation, we will increase efforts to enhance the flexibility of thermal power generation, including the construction of pumped storage power stations and peak-regulating natural gas power stations. Regarding power grids, we will step up infrastructure construction and enhance our ability to optimize resource allocation, and in particular give full play to the complementarity between large power grid s. In terms of users, we will promote terminal power replacement, especially green power replacement, to improve the response capacity on the demand side. In addition, we will accelerate the large-scale development of energy storage, promote overall digitalization of the power system and formulate an efficient and intelligent scheduling and operation system. For example, electric vehicles need to be charged via the electric power system, which seems to be a power supply task, but they can help improve system capacity through technological developments, including taking economic measures. When the demand for electricity is low, the power system will charge electric vehicles; when demand is high, the vehicles will discharge electricity into the power system. An electric car could become a power storage device in the power system. If there are thousands of electric vehicles, it will be beneficial for the power system. Therefore, we should accelerate the construction of charging infrastructure. On one hand, this will promote the development of new-energy vehicles, and on the other, it will also facilitate the construction of a new-type power system. This is a very good thing.
Third, we will formulate a long-term mechanism for new energy consumption. I'll outline the considerations from three aspects: First, while ensuring the consumption of the power grid, various market players including power supply, power grid, users and energy storage share the responsibility of clean energy consumption through the integration and multi-energy complementation of energy resources, power grid, electricity load and storage. Second, we should coordinate the resources of electricity load, power supply and power grid, and improve the new energy scheduling mechanism and adjusting ability of the power system from multiple dimensions so as to ensure matching of the adjusting ability with the developing and utilizing scale of new energy. Third, we should set a scientific target for the rational utilization rate of new energy. A dynamic adjustment mechanism must be formed to facilitate the development of new energy and overall improvement of the new-type power system. Wind and solar power resources, grid loads and grid structures all vary in different places. We should set regional targets in line with local conditions, make full use of the system's consumption capacity, and boost the development potentials of new energy. That's all from me. Thank you.
