China Wants To Increase Solar & Wind Generation In 2021

• China intents to increase the overall share of solar and wind power generation in total electricity consumption to 11% in 2021
• The NEA has asked developers to speed up construction of such projects, while also guiding local authorities to support
• It has come with a draft to seek stakeholder comments to its proposals which it would be accepting till April 25, 2021

In the year 2021, the Chinese government wants to increase the share of solar and wind energy generation to 11% for all electricity consumption, scaling it up every year. This is what the government has on its mind, and through the country's National Energy Administration (NEA), it has come out with an official draft document to get stakeholder feedback.

The year 2021 is the 1^st year of China's 14^th Five-Year Plan, and by the end of it, which would be 2025, the government wants to scale up the share of solar and wind power in total power consumption to 16.5%. By 2030, the overarching target of China is to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in the total electricity consumption to 25% where in solar and wind power generation should account for more than 1,200 GW together as installed capacity (see China Aims For Over 1,200 GW Wind & Solar Power By 2030).

The draft encourages investors and developers to speed up solar and wind power plant construction in the country. It counts wind projects approved before the end of 2020 and whose approval period validity remains in place, as well as grid parity and competitively bid out solar PV projects in 2019 and 2020 as inventory projects that will be eligible for guaranteed grid connection in 2021.

In provinces where these inventory projects are unable to meet the region's non-hydro power requirement, the draft calls out to the provincial level authority to promptly choose newer projects through bidding route to fill up remaining capacity.

The government plans to extend support by way of faster clearances, and ensuring that power generated will be grid connected through local power grids. However, it reads that guaranteed grid-connected projects will be uniformly organized by provincial level energy authorities through competitive allocation.

Grid companies are also advised to simplify connection procedures so as to facilitate connection procedures.

The draft is available on the NEA's website and feedback to it will be accepted till April 25, 2021.