China takes aim at energy replacement with plan to rely on renewables, reduce coal use

China has unveiled a 17-point renewable-energy-substitution plan that spans multiple industries, aiming to accelerate the nation’s clean-energy transition while taking a gradual approach to phasing out fossil fuels in a bid to avoid crippling power disruptions like those seen in recent years.

The country’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), is urging industries to carry out their energy transition in a “safe”, “orderly” and “diverse” manner. And the underlying goal is to reach a nationwide renewable-energy consumption target for 2025 that is equivalent to the energy produced from more than 1.1 billion tonnes of standard coal, exceeding the 2022 goal by 100 million tonnes.

By 2030, that coal-use equivalency should rise to 1.5 billion tonnes as the steady increase in renewable energy supports efforts to see carbon emissions peak by that year and to achieve net-zero emissions before 2060 – pledges made by President Xi Jinping in 2020.

“[We need to] comprehensively enhance the capability to supply renewable energy,” said the plan unveiled on Wednesday and jointly issued by six departments. It also emphasised the need to “accelerate the building up of relevant infrastructure”.

After nearly four years of vigorous development in clean-energy sectors – mainly involving solar, wind and marine energies – the world’s biggest carbon emitter has met some targets ahead of schedule.

For instance, China in August achieved its 1,200-gigawatt solar and wind capacity targets six years early, according to the National Energy Administration.