4 The Transition of China’s Power System
119
licenses were issued for units 1 and 2 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in
China’s Fujian province.
In the 13th Five Year Plan on electric power development issued by the National
Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration in
2016, it was proposed that China would have 58 million kW of installed nuclear power
by 2020 (The 13th Five-Year Plan for Electric Power Development 2016). However,
actual growth fell short of the government’s target. By the end of 2019, the installed
nuclear power generation capacity only rose to 48.74 million kW from 33.64 million
kW in 2016. In February 2019, the China Electricity Council (hereinafter referred to
as CEC) advocated for revising the 2020 target down to 53 million kW (Mid-Term
Evaluation and Optimization of the 13th Five-Year Plan for Electric Power 2019).
Nuclear power plants provide a stable power generation with long utilization time.
Nuclear is clean and zero-emission compared with thermal power, not affected by
seasonality compared with hydro, and free from natural conditional such as wind
and solar power. Nuclear energy development holds enormous potential in China.
However, technological upgrading and the safety of the facilities will be the highest
priority in the development of nuclear power.
4.2.1.3 The Development of Wind Power in China
The first wind farms sprouted in the 1980s in China, but it was not until 2005 that
wind power began to take off. The support of government policies, which drove a
massive inflow of capital into the sector, fueled explosive growth in the installed
capacity of wind power in China in the following decade. In 2008, the total installed
capacity of wind power stood at 8.39 million kW, accounting for a mere 1.1% of
the country’s total installed capacity. In total, wind energy generated 13.1 billion
kWh, or 0.4% of the country’s total power generation. China’s installed capacity of
wind power had topped 210 million kW by the end of 2019, making up 10.4% of the
country’s power capacity. Wind energy produced 405.7 billion kWh, representing
5.5% of the country’s power production in the year. Wind power has become an
important part of China power supply mix.
The installed capacity of wind power between 2009 and 2019 and its share in
the total mix are shown in Fig. 4.13. Figure 4.14 shows the capacity added each
year and the rate of growth. It is evident from the data that since 2009, though the
amount of newly installed capacity varied from year to year, a high level of growth
was maintained throughout. The average annual increase in the installed capacity of
wind power exceeded 15 million kW, and its share in the total mix has also witnessed
a steady rise.
It is worth noting that although the installed capacity of wind power was seeing
explosive growth, that did not translate into commensurate increases in the share of
wind power in the total amount of electricity production. On the one hand, average
utilization times of thermal, hydro and nuclear power plants are much longer than
wind farms due to the unpredictable nature of wind energy. On the other, a significant
119
licenses were issued for units 1 and 2 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in
China’s Fujian province.
In the 13th Five Year Plan on electric power development issued by the National
Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration in
2016, it was proposed that China would have 58 million kW of installed nuclear power
by 2020 (The 13th Five-Year Plan for Electric Power Development 2016). However,
actual growth fell short of the government’s target. By the end of 2019, the installed
nuclear power generation capacity only rose to 48.74 million kW from 33.64 million
kW in 2016. In February 2019, the China Electricity Council (hereinafter referred to
as CEC) advocated for revising the 2020 target down to 53 million kW (Mid-Term
Evaluation and Optimization of the 13th Five-Year Plan for Electric Power 2019).
Nuclear power plants provide a stable power generation with long utilization time.
Nuclear is clean and zero-emission compared with thermal power, not affected by
seasonality compared with hydro, and free from natural conditional such as wind
and solar power. Nuclear energy development holds enormous potential in China.
However, technological upgrading and the safety of the facilities will be the highest
priority in the development of nuclear power.
4.2.1.3 The Development of Wind Power in China
The first wind farms sprouted in the 1980s in China, but it was not until 2005 that
wind power began to take off. The support of government policies, which drove a
massive inflow of capital into the sector, fueled explosive growth in the installed
capacity of wind power in China in the following decade. In 2008, the total installed
capacity of wind power stood at 8.39 million kW, accounting for a mere 1.1% of
the country’s total installed capacity. In total, wind energy generated 13.1 billion
kWh, or 0.4% of the country’s total power generation. China’s installed capacity of
wind power had topped 210 million kW by the end of 2019, making up 10.4% of the
country’s power capacity. Wind energy produced 405.7 billion kWh, representing
5.5% of the country’s power production in the year. Wind power has become an
important part of China power supply mix.
The installed capacity of wind power between 2009 and 2019 and its share in
the total mix are shown in Fig. 4.13. Figure 4.14 shows the capacity added each
year and the rate of growth. It is evident from the data that since 2009, though the
amount of newly installed capacity varied from year to year, a high level of growth
was maintained throughout. The average annual increase in the installed capacity of
wind power exceeded 15 million kW, and its share in the total mix has also witnessed
a steady rise.
It is worth noting that although the installed capacity of wind power was seeing
explosive growth, that did not translate into commensurate increases in the share of
wind power in the total amount of electricity production. On the one hand, average
utilization times of thermal, hydro and nuclear power plants are much longer than
wind farms due to the unpredictable nature of wind energy. On the other, a significant