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China recently decided to raise its annual comprehensive energy production capacity to over 4.6 billion metric tonnes of standard coal by 2025, with its annual crude production gradually increasing to 200 million tonnes and annual natural gas output exceeding 230 billion cubic metres. It will also gradually develop solar and wind power on a large scale.
According to the modern energy system plan under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration on March 22, China's share of non-fossil energy consumption will increase to around 20 per cent by 2025 and the proportion of non-fossil power generation will be around 39 per cent by then, a state-run media outlet reported.
Development of solar and wind power will give priority to local development and utilisation, while speeding up the construction of decentralised wind power and distributed photovoltaic in load centres and surrounding areas, the plan said.
The government also encourages steady construction of coastal nuclear power projects with an emphasis on security. Installed capacity for nuclear power plants in operation will reach 70 million kilowatts by 2025, it said.
According to the NDRC, the proportion of non-fossil energy in the nation's total energy consumption had risen from 12 per cent in 2016—the starting year of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20)—to 15.9 per cent by the end of 2020.
