Stressing security, wind, solar, NEA sharpens focus on nonfossil sources

China will step up efforts to boost new energy development while ensuring energy security this year, as part of concerted efforts to meet its green commitment, said the National Energy Administration on Wednesday.

In a guideline, the NEA also said more efforts are in the pipeline to develop wind and solar power to increase installed capacity by about 160 million kilowatts this year.

The country will also steadily promote the construction of offshore wind power bases and develop offshore solar power this year.

The country aims to raise the proportion of wind and solar power in total electricity consumption from 13.8 percent last year to 15.3 percent this year, the administration said.

It will also raise the proportion of nonfossil energy in total energy consumption to about 18.3 percent, the NEA said. According to a report by the Economics and Technology Research Institute of China National Petroleum Corp, the corresponding figure last year was 17.4 percent.

The proportion of nonfossil energy in installed power generation capacity will be increased to about 51.9 percent, up from 47.3 percent last year, the NEA said.

Zhang Jianhua, head of the NEA, said in a news conference on Wednesday that it is necessary to accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system and a new electricity system, and promote the use of electricity as a major energy source in key areas.

With a larger proportion of power generated from new energy sources connecting to the grid, further efforts are also needed to encourage the participation of big data centers and other entities in the management of the power system. It is also important to accelerate the development of distributed energy, coastal nuclear power and offshore wind power, he said.

Meanwhile, the country will take necessary action to ensure energy security. Total energy output this year will be equivalent to about 4.75 billion metric tons of coal. Crude oil production will be stable and increased as well.

Similarly, natural gas production will increase rapidly and coal production capacity will be maintained at a reasonable level, the administration said.

Zhang also said the NEA will work to improve the reliability of nonfossil energy to form a diversified clean energy supply system that includes wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, nuclear and hydrogen.

"The development of pumped storage hydropower and new types of energy storage will also be accelerated. The power distribution network will also be upgraded to support the connection of a high proportion of new energy to the grid," Zhang said.

"By 2035, 80 percent of newly increased electricity will come from nonfossil energy sources," he said.

At the same time, the country will work to strengthen the role of coal as a "ballast stone" in China's energy mix, Zhang said, adding more efforts will be made to increase oil and gas exploration and increase their reserves.

Zheng Xin contributed to this story.