China: 300 GW New Solar Under 14th 5-Year Plan?

• Chinese solar power capacity addition between 2021 to 2025 could be a minimum of 300 GW, according to a recommendation of NPC member Cao Renxian
• For wind power, he has recommended including a target of at least 150 GW over the same period under the current deliberations for 14^th Five-Year Plan
• Recommendations include promoting renewable energy projects with energy storage and renewable hydrogen among others

The Chinese government may be looking at a bigger role for clean energy in steering its economy over the next 5 years under the country's 14^th Five-Year Plan. During deliberations being conducted by the administration to fix up the targets under the plan, a representative of the National People's Congress (NPC), Cao Renxian has recommended targeting a minimum of 300 GW of new solar PV power generation capacity in the period.

China is currently under its 13^th Five-Year Plan due to come to an end in 2020. The next 5 years (2021-2025) will pursue the objectives NPC agrees on. The recommendation also includes adding at least 150 GW of new wind power generation capacity, reported Polaris Solar PV Network.

Renxian has also suggested the country increase its non-fossil fuel energy consumption to 25% to be achieved by 2030 and further push it up to 50% by 2050. Currently, this target is set at 15% by 2020 and 20% by 2030, as per the National Energy Administration (NEA).

As per the recommendations, China should back renewable energy projects with an energy storage component, encourage renewable hydrogen production initiatives and basically put in place a clean power production and supply chain across its length and breadth.

As of now, the recommendations are just that, proposals. The NPC is currently holding its annual meeting.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic having spread beyond the country of its origination to across the globe, China faces a lot of hostility abroad, in particular from the US. Affiliated to the China's State Council, think tank Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) has recommended the government to focus on its vast domestic market capitalizing on its own technological innovation instead of looking outward, reported South China Morning Post.

Till the end of March 2020, China's total installed solar power capacity was 208 GW out of 802 GW of renewable energy capacity. The NEA is also seeking comments and feedback on a draft that details establishing and improving a long term mechanism for clean energy consumption till June 19, 2020 (see China Installed 3.95 GW New Solar In Q1/2020).

The 13th Five-Year Plan, which was released in Dec. 2016, targeted originally 105 GW of total capacity, but already by Sept. 2018, the volume had increased to 165 GW.