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China’s clean energy push targets sandy, rocky reaches for solar and wind power bases
- President Xi Jinping says work is under way on the first phase of projects to generate about 100GW in all
- But, even as provinces vie to burnish renewables credentials, balancing demand and costs is likely to remain a challenge
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Echo Xiein Kunming
China – already a world leader in renewable energy production – aims to “vigorously” expand its solar and wind power projects to achieve climate targets.
Delivering a keynote speech at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) Leaders’ Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country would continue to “vigorously develop renewable energy”, and aimed to make speedy progress in developing large wind power and photovoltaic bases in sandy and rocky areas and deserts.
“Construction of the first phase of projects with an installed capacity of about 100 gigawatts started recently,” Xi said via video link on Tuesday.
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Xi’s remarks came after Premier Li Keqiang at a State Council meeting last Friday emphasised the need for the speedy building of large-scale wind and solar PV power projects, as well as “peak shaving” power sources – stressing the urgency of safeguarding energy supplies even as China reeled from a widespread power crisis blamed on coal supplies.
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China is at the centre of global demand and supply for renewables, having accounted for around 40 per cent of global capacity growth for several years, an International Energy Agency report said in May.
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