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Z. Lu and G. Zhu
The development of inland nuclear power plants has long been part of discussions
and research efforts in China. Three inland nuclear power plants—Hunan’s Taohuajiang power station, Hubei’s Xianning Dafan power station, and Jiangxi’s Pengze
power station—were already approved prior to the Fukushima incident. However,
the incident prompted China to halt all plans for constructing inland nuclear power
projects. In recent years, the construction of inland nuclear power stations has reentered the discussion. China’s 13th Five-Year Plan on the development of energy
called for “research and preparations for the construction of inland nuclear power
plants”.
4.2.2.4 Distribution of Wind Power in China
Unlike thermal and nuclear power, wind power output is greatly affected by a
host of geographical and environmental factors. China’s wind energy resources
are mainly concentrated in the northeast, north, northwest and along the coast,
which are also home to the vast majority of the country’s wind power bases. In
2019, the top three provinces by cumulative wind capacity were Inner Mongolia
(30.07 million kW), Xinjiang (19.56 million kW), and Hebei (16.39 million kW).
Other provinces topping the 10 million mark included Shandong (13.54 million kW),
Gansu (12.97 million kW), Shanxi (12.51 million kW), Ningxia (11.16 million kW)
and Jiangsu (10.41 million kW).
In 2019, the regions with wind curtailment rates exceeding 5% included Xinjiang
(14%, 6.61 billion kWh curtailed), Gansu (7.6%, 1.88 billion kWh curtailed) and
Inner Mongolia (7.1%, 5.12 billion kWh curtailed). The three regions curtailed a
combined 13.6 billion kWh of electricity generated from wind farms, or 81% of
the country’s total curtailment. The common denominator shared by these three
regions is an abundant supply of wind energy, a sparse population, relatively low
demand for electricity locally and lack of transmission capacity to export excess
electricity elsewhere. To tackle wind curtailment, it is necessary to improve the
power grid’s capacity for transmitting wind power outward and for the coordinated
generation, transmission and consumption of electricity across regions. In addition,
local consumption of electricity should be bolstered through industrial transformation
and upgrading, industrial transfer from the eastern regions, and the development of
a number of energy-intensive industries such as hydrogen production by electrolysis
and smelting. Low-cost wind power generated locally should be made full use of to
reduce product cost and enhance their competitiveness.
4.2.2.5 Distribution of Solar Power in China
The total installed capacity of solar power in China reached 204.68 million kW at the
end of 2019, 99.8% of which were from photovoltaic solar panels. In 2019, a total
of 30.11 million kW of new PV capacity were added nationwide. 28.5% of the new
capacity or 8.58 million kW were installed in northern China; 5.1% or 1.53 million
Z. Lu and G. Zhu
The development of inland nuclear power plants has long been part of discussions
and research efforts in China. Three inland nuclear power plants—Hunan’s Taohuajiang power station, Hubei’s Xianning Dafan power station, and Jiangxi’s Pengze
power station—were already approved prior to the Fukushima incident. However,
the incident prompted China to halt all plans for constructing inland nuclear power
projects. In recent years, the construction of inland nuclear power stations has reentered the discussion. China’s 13th Five-Year Plan on the development of energy
called for “research and preparations for the construction of inland nuclear power
plants”.
4.2.2.4 Distribution of Wind Power in China
Unlike thermal and nuclear power, wind power output is greatly affected by a
host of geographical and environmental factors. China’s wind energy resources
are mainly concentrated in the northeast, north, northwest and along the coast,
which are also home to the vast majority of the country’s wind power bases. In
2019, the top three provinces by cumulative wind capacity were Inner Mongolia
(30.07 million kW), Xinjiang (19.56 million kW), and Hebei (16.39 million kW).
Other provinces topping the 10 million mark included Shandong (13.54 million kW),
Gansu (12.97 million kW), Shanxi (12.51 million kW), Ningxia (11.16 million kW)
and Jiangsu (10.41 million kW).
In 2019, the regions with wind curtailment rates exceeding 5% included Xinjiang
(14%, 6.61 billion kWh curtailed), Gansu (7.6%, 1.88 billion kWh curtailed) and
Inner Mongolia (7.1%, 5.12 billion kWh curtailed). The three regions curtailed a
combined 13.6 billion kWh of electricity generated from wind farms, or 81% of
the country’s total curtailment. The common denominator shared by these three
regions is an abundant supply of wind energy, a sparse population, relatively low
demand for electricity locally and lack of transmission capacity to export excess
electricity elsewhere. To tackle wind curtailment, it is necessary to improve the
power grid’s capacity for transmitting wind power outward and for the coordinated
generation, transmission and consumption of electricity across regions. In addition,
local consumption of electricity should be bolstered through industrial transformation
and upgrading, industrial transfer from the eastern regions, and the development of
a number of energy-intensive industries such as hydrogen production by electrolysis
and smelting. Low-cost wind power generated locally should be made full use of to
reduce product cost and enhance their competitiveness.
4.2.2.5 Distribution of Solar Power in China
The total installed capacity of solar power in China reached 204.68 million kW at the
end of 2019, 99.8% of which were from photovoltaic solar panels. In 2019, a total
of 30.11 million kW of new PV capacity were added nationwide. 28.5% of the new
capacity or 8.58 million kW were installed in northern China; 5.1% or 1.53 million