Roughly half of China’s new generation will come from carbon-free sources by 2020, said the country’s National Energy Administration (NEA) in its latest roadmap to cleaning up the nation's pollution-ridden system.
China expects to spend 2.5trn yuan ($361bn) on renewables between 2016 and the end of the decade, Reuters reported, quoting an NEA document published today.
The issue of cleaning up China’s power system has been front of mind in the country, as pollution cast a thick haze over major cities including the capital Beijing in the first days of 2017.
The smog brought toxic particulates at 20 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, leading the authorities to issue urgent health alerts over air quality.
The 50% of new clean generation includes nuclear power as well as wind, solar and hydro generation, it was reported.
The investment in new capacity will create more than 13 million jobs in the energy sector, added the government agency.
China has for the last decade been the global powerhouse for wind and solar development.
Late last year it set 2020 renewables targets of 110GW for solar and 210GW for wind – including 5GW offshore – under its 13th Five-Year Plan for the power sector.
Those represented an easing back of a previous solar ambition for 150GW, although analysts said the lower total could easily be overshot.
China also confirmed reduced feed-in tariffs of up to 19% for PV in 2017 and 15% for onshore wind from 2018 – cuts that were less fierce than foreseen under draft proposals earlier in 2016, and which the government said reflect falling deployment costs.
The new investment will help propel renewables to a 15% share of total energy consumption by 2020, said Reuters quoting the NEA. That would still leave half of the nation’s power capacity still reliant on coal-fired generators, it added.
Pictures: Wang Zhao/Greg Barker/Getty
