Climate change creates ‘serious, long-term problem’ for China’s energy security, carbon neutral goal
- Sichuan province relies on dams to generate around 80 per cent of its electricity via hydropower, but high summer temperatures have dried up rivers and reservoirs
- China has cut fossil fuel power projects due to overcapacity and carbon emissions targets, but investment in coal-based thermal power projects has continued
The ongoing power crisis in China’s Sichuan province has prompted companies to rethink their energy-sourcing strategy and consider returning to the stable supply of fossil fuel as unresolved issues including climate change are set to affect the nation’s long-term development of sustainable energy, analysts said.
“Climate change is turning the hydropower depletion occurring in Sichuan province into a long-term problem that will expand to affect the supply of other sustainable energy sources, such as wind and photovoltaics,” said Yuan Jiahai, a professor at the School of Economics and Management at North China Electric Power University.
Sichuan uses its hydropower projects to provide electricity to other industrial centres along the country’s east coast, including major manufacturing hubs such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai, Chongqing and Hunan.
This is a serious, long-term problem. Most of China’s hydropower is located in the southwest of the country, including Sichuan