China has unveiled a government plan aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions from its coal-fired power industry by implementing low-carbon upgrades and new power generation technologies.
As the world’s largest energy consumer heavily reliant on coal, China aims to align the carbon emissions of its coal power sector with those of natural gas-powered generation.
The action plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration, outlines three key low-carbon power generation technologies: biomass blending, green ammonia blending, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). By 2025, initial low-carbon projects utilizing these technologies are set to begin operations, targeting a 20% reduction in carbon emissions compared to 2023 levels. By 2027, China aims to expand these projects further, aiming for a 50% reduction in average carbon emissions from 2023 levels, while also lowering operating costs.
Local governments are encouraged to support and subsidize the launch of these low-carbon projects. Despite efforts to promote renewables, the NDRC emphasized that coal power will remain essential for energy security due to the intermittency of renewable energy sources.