{"id":98164,"date":"2023-03-01T12:57:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T12:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadialogue.net\/?p=98164"},"modified":"2023-03-17T15:37:34","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:37:34","slug":"two-sessions-chinese-provinces-push-coal-and-clean-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/two-sessions-chinese-provinces-push-coal-and-clean-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese provinces push for coal and clean energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

China\u2019s provincial-level jurisdictions (hereafter \u201cprovinces\u201d) will focus on both coal and renewable power in the year ahead, according to work reports released ahead of the national Two Sessions. These, the country\u2019s most significant annual political and legislative meetings, will begin on 4 March<\/a> in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than two-thirds of the 31 provinces in mainland China have pledged to promote \u201cclean\u201d coal, to construct \u201cadvanced\u201d coal power capacity, or to ensure coal supply. Seventeen plan to speed up building wind and solar farms or industrial parks, with more attention given to offshore wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-one want to develop \u201cnew types\u201d of energy storage, while another 15 have plans for more pumped-storage hydropower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The figures come from China Dialogue\u2019s analysis of the government work reports published at this year\u2019s provincial \u201ctwo sessions\u201d, which took place throughout January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a prelude to the national Two Sessions, the provincial conferences focus on instructions given by the central government in the last few months. The tasks found in the provincial plans can therefore herald the talking points of the national meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts tell China Dialogue that these plans also show that provinces are taking actions to implement the \u201c1+N\u201d policy framework \u2013 China\u2019s top-level plans for peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The push for coal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At least 24 provinces have underscored the importance of coal-related work for 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provinces that traditionally produce energy plan to step up the \u201cclean and highly efficient use of coal\u201d and build more \u201cadvanced\u201d or \u201cintelligent\u201d coal power plants or coal mines. They also want to bolster their coal-to-chemical industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>
Recommended<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Shaanxi<\/a>, China\u2019s third-largest<\/a> coal producer in 2022, aims to begin building four new coal mines and produce a total of 750 million tonnes of coal this year, more than its output last year. It also aims to start the construction of more than 10 gigawatts (GW) of coal power capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Inner Mongolia<\/a>, the second-largest coal producer last year, intends to extend its coal industry by \u201cfast-tracking the planning of a batch of modern coal-to-chemical projects\u201d. This includes an \u201cindustry demonstration zone\u201d in Ordos, a city dubbed China\u2019s \u201ccoal capital<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, manufacturing and industrial hubs, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong, are looking to expand their coal power capacity, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shandong<\/a>, a leading GDP driver, plans to start building six large-scale \u201cultra-supercritical coal power projects<\/a>\u201d, a name given to more modern and efficient plants. The province already has the largest<\/a> coal power capacity in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central province of Hubei<\/a> aims to accelerate the construction of two major coal power projects. One will be situated in Ezhou<\/a> and have two 1-GW ultra-supercritical units, while the other in Suizhou<\/a> will have two 660-megawatt (MW) ultra-supercritical units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts say that these provincial actions match the central government\u2019s directives to ensure economic stability and energy security, themselves a response to domestic power shortages in 2021<\/a> and 2022<\/a>, and to a shifting<\/a> global landscape on energy supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n