• A lack of inertia caused by high volumes of
renewable generation in the system was found
to be a key factor in the outage. South Australia has high levels of wind generation,
which accounted for more than 40% of its
power in 2016. Traditionally, fossil-fired
thermal plants have played a key role in
managing such events, acting as synchronous
generators that provide real-time frequency
response. Wind turbines lack this capability,
increasing the risk of entire power network
failure in the event of asset loss.
• Utility-scale storage units have been developed in Southern Australia by Tesla to
address these issues. Tesla built a 100 MW
battery installation in 2017 that is capable of
providing power to 30,000 homes in the event
of a blackout. The facility was funded by
South Australia’s $150 million Renewable
Technology Fund that supports renewable
energy projects. The facility adjoins the
100 MW Hornsdale 2 wind farm, allowing
the batteries and wind farm to provide fast
response services together in the case of a
network fault, and to time-shift wind capacity
and help meet peak demand periods.
(5) Summary of arrangements
Australia (National Electricity Market, NEM)
(Table 8)
3 Drivers, Supporting Conditions
and Pathways for China’s Energy
Revolution
The history of human society is closely linked
with energy supply changes. Fossil fuels like
coal, oil and gas have driven the industrialisation
and modernisation of global society. However,
after more than two centuries of industrialisation,
the energy system dominated by fossil fuels has
brought severe environmental pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions. Safeguarding the
environment and combating climate change are
perhaps the two biggest challenges facing the
world, and the transition to a low-carbon global
energy system is now an irreversible trend.
Human society is entering a new era of energy
transition from high carbon to low carbon, from
low density to high density, and from black to
green.
3.1 New Features in Energy
Development Are
the Foundation
of the Energy Revolution
From 2012, China’s economic development
entered a new normal of slowing growth, structural optimisation and a shift in drivers. Understanding, adapting to and leading the new normal
is a major issue in China, both now and in the
near future. Meanwhile, developments in the
energy sector are also changing, sharing some of
the features of the new normal: slowing growth
in energy demand, a gradual shift of growth
drivers from manufacturing to services and
households, the emergence of new business
models and smart energy, an increase in renewable energy and the continuous optimisation of
the energy mix, and success in supply-side
reform.
3.1.1 Slowing Growth in Energy
Demand
In the new normal, energy consumption shows a
clear slowdown in growth. In this century, China’s
total energy consumption has almost tripled from
1.47 billion tonnes of coal equivalent (Btce) in
2000 to 4.3 Btce in 2015. This average annual
growth in energy consumption of 7.42% produced
an average annual economic growth of 9.6%.
Although high, the growth rate has in fact been
slowing down. In 2006–10, the average annual
growth rate in energy consumption was 6.65%,
down 5.55 percentage points from 2001–05. In
2011–15 it dropped to 3.58%, down 3.07 percentage points from 2006–10. In general, the
current slowdown in energy growth matches that
of the economy, thanks to proactive industrial
Special Report 1: A Study of China’s Energy Supply Revolution
123
renewable generation in the system was found
to be a key factor in the outage. South Australia has high levels of wind generation,
which accounted for more than 40% of its
power in 2016. Traditionally, fossil-fired
thermal plants have played a key role in
managing such events, acting as synchronous
generators that provide real-time frequency
response. Wind turbines lack this capability,
increasing the risk of entire power network
failure in the event of asset loss.
• Utility-scale storage units have been developed in Southern Australia by Tesla to
address these issues. Tesla built a 100 MW
battery installation in 2017 that is capable of
providing power to 30,000 homes in the event
of a blackout. The facility was funded by
South Australia’s $150 million Renewable
Technology Fund that supports renewable
energy projects. The facility adjoins the
100 MW Hornsdale 2 wind farm, allowing
the batteries and wind farm to provide fast
response services together in the case of a
network fault, and to time-shift wind capacity
and help meet peak demand periods.
(5) Summary of arrangements
Australia (National Electricity Market, NEM)
(Table 8)
3 Drivers, Supporting Conditions
and Pathways for China’s Energy
Revolution
The history of human society is closely linked
with energy supply changes. Fossil fuels like
coal, oil and gas have driven the industrialisation
and modernisation of global society. However,
after more than two centuries of industrialisation,
the energy system dominated by fossil fuels has
brought severe environmental pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions. Safeguarding the
environment and combating climate change are
perhaps the two biggest challenges facing the
world, and the transition to a low-carbon global
energy system is now an irreversible trend.
Human society is entering a new era of energy
transition from high carbon to low carbon, from
low density to high density, and from black to
green.
3.1 New Features in Energy
Development Are
the Foundation
of the Energy Revolution
From 2012, China’s economic development
entered a new normal of slowing growth, structural optimisation and a shift in drivers. Understanding, adapting to and leading the new normal
is a major issue in China, both now and in the
near future. Meanwhile, developments in the
energy sector are also changing, sharing some of
the features of the new normal: slowing growth
in energy demand, a gradual shift of growth
drivers from manufacturing to services and
households, the emergence of new business
models and smart energy, an increase in renewable energy and the continuous optimisation of
the energy mix, and success in supply-side
reform.
3.1.1 Slowing Growth in Energy
Demand
In the new normal, energy consumption shows a
clear slowdown in growth. In this century, China’s
total energy consumption has almost tripled from
1.47 billion tonnes of coal equivalent (Btce) in
2000 to 4.3 Btce in 2015. This average annual
growth in energy consumption of 7.42% produced
an average annual economic growth of 9.6%.
Although high, the growth rate has in fact been
slowing down. In 2006–10, the average annual
growth rate in energy consumption was 6.65%,
down 5.55 percentage points from 2001–05. In
2011–15 it dropped to 3.58%, down 3.07 percentage points from 2006–10. In general, the
current slowdown in energy growth matches that
of the economy, thanks to proactive industrial
Special Report 1: A Study of China’s Energy Supply Revolution
123