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China's Electric Power: Results for first half 2017 demonstrate continuing green shift

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

John A. Mathews
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Abstract

China's continuing shift to green sources of electric power generation is confirmed in the latest data published by the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the China Electricity Council (CEC). New capacity additions in the first half of 2017 have seen the proportion of capacity added sourced from water, wind and sun (WWS) reaching 70%, with thermal capacity added being reduced to 28% and nuclear to just 2%. Overall, the China electric power system has swung from one that was dependent on WWS sources for just 20% in 2007 to 35% in 2017 (1H) – an astonishing 15% swing in just a decade. Meanwhile actual electric energy generated in 1H 2017 remains heavily dependent on thermal sources to the extent of 75%, with WWS accounting for 21% and nuclear for 4%. The system is greening at the margin (in terms of new additions) but it still remains a large fossil-fuelled system.

Keywords

Electric powergreen energyWWSfossil fuelthermal energy
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 15 , Issue 18 , September 2017 , e1
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2017

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References

Notes

1 It is worth noting that different definitions of ‘clean energy’ can lead to varying estimates of China's green shift. For example reports in the China press in July that China's ‘clean energy’ generation in 1H 2017 reached 27.2% of total power generation are at variance with the estimates given here (see for example, ‘China's clean energy generation accelerates in first half’, China Daily, 19 July 2017). The estimates cited here are based on CEC data and a characterization of ‘clean’ as meaning energy generated from WWS sources.