China generated 2.49 trillion kWh of electricity from renewable energy in 2021, accounting for about 30 per cent of the country's total electricity consumption.
The newly installed renewable energy power capacity in 2021 accounted for 76.1 per cent of the country's total newly-installed power capacity, according to a new study by the China Energy Media Group.
China's electricity generation from renewable energy lagged behind the United States in 2012, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Since then, the Chinese government has stepped up support and guidance to renewable energy in terms of policies, finance and technical routes, further strengthening its development and utilisation.
China generated three times as much renewable energy electricity as the United States in 2021, an official news agency reported.
The country's cumulative installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic power increased by 20.48 per cent and 64.85 per cent annually respectively from 2012 to 2021, according to the China Energy Media Group.
In a white paper issued in December 2020 on energy development, the country promised to give priority to non-fossil energy and strive to substitute renewable energy for fossil energy.
The white paper said China planned to build laboratories and research institutes in areas such as efficient utilisation of renewable energy, energy storage and distributed energy.
Earlier this year, the National Energy Administration and the Ministry of Science and Technology issued an energy technology innovation plan for the 2021-2025 period, providing a roadmap for key technological breakthroughs in advanced renewable energy.
The plan stressed the development of advanced power generation and comprehensive utilisation of renewable energy.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)