In recent years, China has made significant strides in transforming its energy production and consumption methods. The country’s capabilities in energy supply assurance have been greatly enhanced, while green and low-carbon energy development has achieved historic breakthroughs, effectively supporting high-quality economic and social development.
China’s low-carbon energy transition has entered a “fast track,” rapidly establishing a new energy supply system that injects strong momentum into economic growth. According to the latest data from the National Energy Administration, as of September this year, the total installed capacity for electricity generation has reached approximately 3.16 billion kilowatts, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.1%. This includes around 770 million kilowatts from solar energy, a remarkable 48.3% increase, and about 480 million kilowatts from wind energy, up 19.8% year-on-year.
A recently published white paper titled “China’s Energy Transition” emphasizes the acceleration of an innovation-driven development strategy. It calls for strengthened efforts in tackling key core technologies, accelerating innovations in energy technologies, industries, and business models, and driving new energy technologies and related industries to become new growth points for industrial upgrading, thereby nurturing a new quality of productive forces. The paper advocates for deepening market-oriented reforms in energy, ensuring that the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation while better harnessing government support to energize various business entities.
According to an official from the National Energy Administration, “China’s energy transition supports high-quality economic and social development.” Over the past few years, the nation has established a comprehensive energy equipment manufacturing industry chain, with continual innovations in technologies across sectors like new energy, hydropower, nuclear power, transmission and transformation, and new energy storage, reinforcing the clean energy sector as a new pillar of the modern industrial system.
In Zhangzhou, Fujian, the country’s first mass construction project featuring the “Hualong One” nuclear reactor is underway. The plan involves constructing six million-kilowatt-level Hualong reactors, with an anticipated total installed capacity of approximately 7.2 million kilowatts. Once fully operational, they are expected to generate over 58 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Meanwhile, in Haikou, Hainan, the successful drilling of the Fengshen Hot 1 well to a depth of 5,200 meters sets a new record for geothermal scientific exploration in China, uncovering geothermal resources across several strata and marking a breakthrough in deep geothermal exploration in South China. Additionally, in Fuzhou, Fujian, the world’s first 16-megawatt ultra-large offshore wind turbine has begun generating power. Based on long-term wind data for the area, a single rotation of this turbine can produce 34.2 kilowatt-hours, translating to over 66 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year, equivalent to saving about 22,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 54,000 tons.
China’s energy demand is substantial, with diverse application scenarios and an active market for innovation, positioning the country at the forefront of global energy transition. Industry experts indicate that building on existing advantages in energy conservation, environmental protection, clean energy, and electric vehicles, further innovations in green and low-carbon technology development, policies, and business models are essential. This will continuously generate new supply, stimulate demand, and cultivate new drivers of growth, paving the way for new industries, technologies, and advantages focused on the future.
Recently, various regions have taken action to promote a greener energy transition. In Beijing, local authorities have advanced the integration of energy greening and digitalization, actively implementing the innovative path of “green introduction, data empowerment, efficiency enhancement, and carbon integration,” which harmonizes energy low-carbon transformation with new urbanization and energy security measures. In Zaozhuang, Shandong, there is a concerted effort to accelerate the development and utilization of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and biomass. Distributed photovoltaic power generation in Zaozhuang now accounts for up to 52% of total electricity output, with installed capacity in new energy surpassing 3.77 million kilowatts—a fourfold increase over the past decade—and projections indicating that next year, the share of new energy generation will historically exceed that of coal. In Jiangyin, Jiangsu, significant progress has been made in expanding a gas turbine innovation development project, giving rise to 9F-level gas-steam combined cycle power generation units, which will effectively meet the growing local electricity demand and enhance the peak-shaving capability of the provincial grid.
An official from the National Energy Administration noted that over the past decade, fixed asset investment in the energy sector has totaled around 39 trillion yuan, averaging nearly 4 trillion yuan each year, with primary energy production capacity increasing by 35%. This has strongly supported the stable and healthy development of China’s economy and society.
The green and low-carbon energy transition is complementary to enhancing energy security. Experts in the field argue that by vigorously promoting renewable energy development, improving energy efficiency, and transitioning to green and low-carbon production and consumption models, China can reduce its dependence on external energy sources and enhance its energy security. Additionally, this approach will lower resource and environmental costs across society, improving both economic and ecological security. This indicates that China’s energy transition is advancing toward a safer, greener, and more sustainable future.
