China has unveiled its energy priorities for 2024, focusing on boosting renewable and nuclear energy capacity while ensuring supply security, the country's top energy regulator said on its official Wechat account.
The National Energy Administration (NEA) outlined nine key tasks for 2024 at an annual work conference last week, including energy security, "double-carbon" emissions, energy tech, national integrated power market, energy supervision system, energy cooperation between China and other countries and household energy use.
Energy security remains a top concern. The NEA stressed the importance of steady domestic coal production to maintain stable energy supply, while continuing to boost security through diversification of energy sources.
The NEA called for around 200 GW of new wind and solar capacity additions in 2024, a 25% rise from 2023's goal. Nuclear will see four new reactors come online, with combined capacity of around 5 GW, up 73% from 2023's target.
Renewable capacity is expected to top 1,450 GW by the end of 2023, exceeding thermal power for the first time and accounting for over half of the country's total capacity, the NEA data showed. Wind and solar is set to hit more than 1,000 GW. Renewables would represent around a third of national generation.
The NEA also aims to advance reforms in the electricity market. It is pushing forward with unified national power market development, with an initial system targeted for completion in 2025.
Electricity spot market construction will be accelerated by expanding eligible participants, building on moves outlined in a November directive by the NEA and national economic planner NDRC.
In 2023, the market electricity trading volume is predicted to reach 5,670 TWh, The NEA predicted, accounting for 61.3% of the national consumption.
On international cooperation, the NEA will seek to leverage both domestic and overseas resources to ensure security while strengthening innovation dialog in areas like hydrogen and storage through collaboration with Europe.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Harry Huo)
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