https://www.scmp.com/rss/508120/feed China’s President Xi Jinping pulled a surprise in September 2020 when he pledged at the United Nations General Assembly for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, becoming the second major economic entity to put a date on the goal. This topic covers all the news, analysis, commentary and explainers related to the goal. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com He Huifeng He Huifeng China has announced that it now has the capacity to build up to 50 nuclear reactors simultaneously, as it doubles down on a push to rapidly expand its nuclear power generation and become a global leader in the sector. The figure came from a report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) on Friday, which highlights the country’s ability to run dozens of nuclear projects concurrently spanning the full project life cycle – from design to construction. “China’s nuclear technology... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350847/chinas-vast-nuclear-power-sector-now-able-build-50-reactors-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350847/chinas-vast-nuclear-power-sector-now-able-build-50-reactors-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:12:39 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Amid heightening global anxieties over energy security fuelled by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, China’s top energy regulator has pledged to accelerate the development of its hydrogen industry, hailing the fuel as a “strategic lever” to fortify national energy resilience. The National Energy Administration (NEA) called for “bold innovation” in the sector during a recent meeting reviewing the progress of hydrogen pilots and outlining future tasks, according to an official readout... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350313/china-fast-tracks-hydrogen-strategy-scale-phase-high-stakes-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350313/china-fast-tracks-hydrogen-strategy-scale-phase-high-stakes-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:00:21 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s leading battery makers have unveiled plans to add more than 600 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new production capacity for the energy storage system (ESS) market in just the first two months of 2026, underscoring surging global demand for renewable energy infrastructure. The planned facilities – spanning major players from Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) to Gotion High-tech – amount to roughly 10 times the 58GWh of total capacity installed across the US in 2025. According to the GGII... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349550/china-throws-switch-battery-buildout-equal-10-times-us-capacity-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349550/china-throws-switch-battery-buildout-equal-10-times-us-capacity-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:40:44 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s Ganfeng Lithium, the world’s largest producer of lithium metal, is envisioning an “explosive growth” in the global energy storage system (ESS) market in 2026, spurred by higher prices of the key battery material and buoyant demand for renewable energy infrastructure. Executives including president Wang Xiaoshen told an investors’ conference on Tuesday that the global decarbonisation drive had created a strong and sustainable trajectory for Ganfeng, which swung from loss to profit last... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348628/ganfeng-lithium-forecasts-strong-battery-demand-amid-china-us-rivalry-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348628/ganfeng-lithium-forecasts-strong-battery-demand-amid-china-us-rivalry-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:00:21 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Against the backdrop of oil prices surging past US$100 per barrel for the first time since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, China has its sights set on strengthening energy security by stabilising domestic crude production and strategic backups – exemplified by coal-to-oil and gas projects – for the next few years. The nation pledges to maintain annual crude production at 200 million tonnes, ensure a steady rise in natural gas output, and bolster technical readiness for coal-derived... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345995/china-vows-stabilise-oil-and-gas-output-new-5-year-plan-global-risks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345995/china-vows-stabilise-oil-and-gas-output-new-5-year-plan-global-risks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:30:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial In 2022, the world’s largest electric cruise ship embarked on its maiden voyage in Yichang, Hubei province. The Yangtze River Three Gorges 1, which can carry up to 1,300 passengers, runs on battery power and can reportedly save 530 tonnes of fuel and 1,660 tonnes of harmful emissions per year. The vessel displayed the commercial and technical feasibility of electric ships. China is the world’s largest shipbuilder and the pre-eminent manufacturer of electric vehicles and advanced batteries. Now,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345393/china-steps-its-clean-energy-push-electric-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345393/china-steps-its-clean-energy-push-electric-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing has issued a central directive to dismantle the administrative walls dividing China’s electricity sector, signalling a decisive shift towards a unified national power market designed to support the country’s energy security and green transition. A decade into its power-sector overhaul, China is doubling down on market unity during the just-started 15th five-year planning period. These structural shifts are widely seen as indispensable to the nation’s 2030 carbon-peak target, as the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343329/china-dismantle-local-power-protectionism-push-electrify-national-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343329/china-dismantle-local-power-protectionism-push-electrify-national-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has achieved a breakthrough in its decarbonisation efforts by successfully repurposing a long-haul oil pipeline to transport carbon dioxide, in a trial run that offers a potentially scalable solution to accelerate the nation’s ambitious climate goals. The 27km (16.8-mile) route delivered carbon dioxide to an oilfield in central China’s Henan province earlier this month, according to China Oil and Gas Pipeline Network Corporation, also known as PipeChina. In an online statement, the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343072/china-turns-old-oil-pipeline-new-carbon-highway-green-cost-cutting-gambit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343072/china-turns-old-oil-pipeline-new-carbon-highway-green-cost-cutting-gambit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Luca Mattei Luca Mattei Energy security is once again at the very heart of the global geopolitical arena. In an era defined by conflict, sanctions and increasingly precarious maritime routes, Beijing has internalised a fundamental truth: in an unstable world, resilience trumps ideology. Recent disruptions to global shipping corridors and tightening sanction regimes have reinforced this shift, pushing major economies to reassess their exposure to external supply shocks. While much of the West remains locked in a debate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342723/chinas-pragmatic-energy-security-vision-fossil-fuels-remain-vital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342723/chinas-pragmatic-energy-security-vision-fossil-fuels-remain-vital?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:30:12 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Clean energy technologies – led by solar power and electric vehicles – drove more than one-third of China’s economic growth last year and over 90 per cent of the rise in investment, according to a new study. China’s clean energy industries generated a record 15.4 trillion yuan (US$2.1 trillion) in economic output in 2025, equivalent to 11.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found. If they were a country, the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342513/chinas-cleantech-sector-now-worth-us21-trillion-rivals-brazils-gdp-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342513/chinas-cleantech-sector-now-worth-us21-trillion-rivals-brazils-gdp-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:09:13 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Tibet’s exploitable solar, wind and hydropower resources alone could theoretically meet all of China’s energy needs, government survey data suggests. According to researchers from the China Society for Hydropower Engineering and the state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, the technically exploitable capacity of hydropower in Tibet could reach 178 gigawatts, and more than 100GW for wind power. They said the development potential of solar power could reach 10,000GW, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342334/tibets-exploitable-green-power-could-meet-chinas-energy-needs-official-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342334/tibets-exploitable-green-power-could-meet-chinas-energy-needs-official-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:02:04 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang A profound energy transformation is reshaping Shanxi, China’s traditional coal heartland, where renewable power capacity has officially surpassed coal-fired generation, marking a historic turning point for one of the nation’s most carbon-intensive economies. The central province’s installed capacity for new energy surged to 90.48 million kilowatts in 2025 – a year-on-year increase of 18.29 million kW – vaulting renewables past the halfway point to claim 55.1 per cent of Shanxi’s total... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342241/shanxis-green-leap-renewables-surpass-coal-chinas-energy-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342241/shanxis-green-leap-renewables-surpass-coal-chinas-energy-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:03:11 +0000 Ying Xu,Weishi Zhang Ying Xu,Weishi Zhang In the global shift towards carbon neutral mobility, a striking role reversal is taking shape. China, often seen as a top-down planner, has emerged as a pragmatic, market-responsive architect of new energy vehicle (NEV) policy. Europe, a champion of climate ambition, is seemingly executing a retreat amid a disconnect between ambition and reality. The planned dilution of the European Union’s ban on new combustion-engine cars by 2035 to a carbon dioxide output reduction target of 90 per cent is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341418/ev-targets-europe-should-take-page-chinas-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341418/ev-targets-europe-should-take-page-chinas-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s pursuit of commercial nuclear fusion technology has intensified this year, fuelled by a fresh round of financing for start-ups and state-backed initiatives. Startorus Fusion last week raised 1 billion yuan (US$143 million) from its series A round, a record for a single financing round by a private nuclear fusion company on the mainland, according to a report by the Securities Times. The deal, announced on January 12, was led by state-owned funds in Shanghai, which contributed around 400... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340430/chinas-nuclear-fusion-start-ups-power-record-funding-round?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340430/chinas-nuclear-fusion-start-ups-power-record-funding-round?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang “Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339618/without-pension-reform-china-leaving-its-rural-elderly-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339618/without-pension-reform-china-leaving-its-rural-elderly-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi China Shenhua Energy’s 133 billion yuan (US$18.9 billion) acquisition of a dozen assets could help the mainland’s largest listed coal miner take on competition as the era of coal power starts winding down in the world’s largest market for the fossil fuel, according to analysts. The miner in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange last week provided an update to its August proposal to acquire equity interests in 12 enterprises from its controlling shareholder, China Energy Investment Group. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337504/shenhua-absorbs-parents-coal-assets-it-looks-future-decarbonising-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337504/shenhua-absorbs-parents-coal-assets-it-looks-future-decarbonising-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:00:17 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh China is often described today as having “overcapacity” in manufacturing. Its dominance in solar panels, batteries and wind equipment, for example, has left many observers baffled. How did a country once dismissed as undeveloped become, within a generation, so technologically developed that its success now unsettles global markets? Part of the answer lies in how we frame China’s development. What is often described as excess capacity is better understood as the outcome of an energy-centred... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words China’s central economic work conference last week made it clear that deeper opening-up and the “dual-carbon” transition are no longer parallel objectives. As integral parts of the national development strategy, the two priorities are now intertwined and mutually reinforcing. For... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336581/greater-bay-area-shifts-carbon-free-trade-hong-kong-must-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336581/greater-bay-area-shifts-carbon-free-trade-hong-kong-must-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:30:09 +0000 Hiba Malik Hiba Malik In the first three quarters of this year, China added 310 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, up 47.7 per cent year on year and accounting for 84.4 per cent of all new power installations in the country, according to the National Energy Administration. This progress is more than climate leadership or capacity building; it involves a holistic reconstruction of the energy system. China is replacing the 20th-century fossil fuel order with a 21st-century “electro-industrial order” where power... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China has launched a revolutionary facility in the eastern province of Shandong that produces fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic metre, generating green hydrogen as a by-product in a breakthrough that could redefine global water and energy systems. This small but world-first installation in the city of Rizhao is powered entirely by seawater and low-grade waste heat from nearby steel and petrochemical plants, official provincial news outlet Dazhong reported on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335518/chinese-desalination-plant-makes-fresh-water-cheaper-tap-water-plus-green-hydrogen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335518/chinese-desalination-plant-makes-fresh-water-cheaper-tap-water-plus-green-hydrogen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 16:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has brought online the world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator – a revolutionary clean energy technology pioneered by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). This power generator, which uses carbon dioxide instead of steam to transfer heat, has been connected to the grid from a steel production plant in China’s southwestern province of Guizhou to produce electricity from waste heat, according to a social media post by CNNC’s Nuclear Power Institute of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333982/nuclear-tech-milestone-chinas-supercritical-steam-free-generator-connects-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333982/nuclear-tech-milestone-chinas-supercritical-steam-free-generator-connects-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Over the Hexi Corridor, a ribbon of fertile land on the edge of the Gobi Desert blessed by the Yellow River in western China, a gleaming forest of wind turbines and solar farms stretches to the horizon. This is Gansu, China’s renewables frontier, a major source of wind and solar energy. And yet, just beyond the dunes, another giant stirs. At the Changle Power Plant, turbines roar to life as another 1-gigawatt coal unit comes online – six reactors now pulsing with the energy that could meet the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333674/why-chinas-mega-coal-fired-power-plants-thrive-amid-green-energy-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333674/why-chinas-mega-coal-fired-power-plants-thrive-amid-green-energy-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 22:00:18 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will join a Brazil-led coalition to link carbon markets across major economies, one of the key environmental proposals set to be adopted at Cop30 in Belem on Friday. The so-called Open Coalition for the Integration of Carbon Markets was created to align standards and make it easier for countries to trade carbon credits. Developed by Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, it is part of the government’s Ecological Transformation Plan, a broad strategy to combine economic growth with social inclusion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332010/cop30-china-join-brazil-led-coalition-seeking-improved-carbon-trading-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332010/cop30-china-join-brazil-led-coalition-seeking-improved-carbon-trading-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 20:27:26 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s energy industry has passed a new milestone, with the expansion of the Yangtze River Delta’s Beilun Power Station making it the largest thermal power station in the country by installed capacity. The plant’s coal-fired Unit Nine has commenced operations after a 168-hour full-load trial, state-owned China Energy Investment Corporation announced on Monday. That additional gigawatt of power has raised the total installed capacity of the station, located in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331575/china-has-new-coal-fired-power-champ-despite-switch-focus-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331575/china-has-new-coal-fired-power-champ-despite-switch-focus-renewable-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 04:29:51 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen An experimental reactor developed in the Gobi Desert by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics has achieved thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion, paving the way for an almost endless supply of nuclear energy. The achievement makes the 2 megawatt liquid-fuelled thorium-based molten salt reactor (TMSR) the only operating example of the technology in the world to have successfully loaded and used thorium fuel. According to the academy, the experiment has provided... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3331312/china-reaches-energy-independence-milestone-breeding-uranium-thorium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3331312/china-reaches-energy-independence-milestone-breeding-uranium-thorium?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan Earlier this month, China National Nuclear Corporation quietly marked a groundbreaking achievement. It announced that Linglong One – which it has billed as the world’s first commercial land-based small modular reactor – had successfully completed its “cold functional test”. This is the first comprehensive assessment of a reactor, done before fuel loading, checking how the system functions under high pressure. Linglong One, which has been much cheaper to construct than the larger Hualong One... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3330563/can-energy-hungry-asia-embrace-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3330563/can-energy-hungry-asia-embrace-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Ren Yan Ren Yan Recently, some major Western media outlets have focused on China’s embrace of clean energy technologies. Between the lines of the rhetoric on China becoming an “electrostate”, there is palpable anxiety about US President Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” approach and the partisan political landscape. The New York Times highlighted one of China’s longest ultra-high-voltage power lines, stretching from the far northwest remote desert to the populous southeast, noting that these power lines are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329944/how-strategic-planning-powering-chinas-green-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329944/how-strategic-planning-powering-chinas-green-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Shares in China’s clean-energy companies, driven by policy tailwinds, show signs of catching up with a global rally that has lifted renewable equities into the ranks of this year’s top trades. The Hang Seng Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Clean Energy Index rose about 30 per cent over the past six months, in line with the broader China market. The S&P Global Clean Energy Transition Index has jumped nearly 50 per cent over the same span, compared with 35 per cent gains in both the S&P 500 index and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3328683/chinas-clean-energy-stocks-closing-gap-global-peers-renewables-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3328683/chinas-clean-energy-stocks-closing-gap-global-peers-renewables-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 23:30:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Power-hungry data centres run hot, so one Chinese company is planning to submerge a pod of servers in the sea off Shanghai with hopes of solving computing’s energy woes. On a wharf near the city, workers were finishing off the large yellow capsule – a foray into alternative tech infrastructure that faces questions over its ecological impact and commercial viability. The world’s websites and apps rely on physical data centres to store information, with the growing use of artificial intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327741/china-tests-underwater-data-centres-reduce-ai-carbon-footprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327741/china-tests-underwater-data-centres-reduce-ai-carbon-footprint?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:40:28 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has reached a major milestone in offshore energy infrastructure, with the total subsea pipeline network now exceeding 10,000km (6,213 miles), as the country accelerates efforts to explore offshore resources to meet its energy-security needs. The milestone was achieved as the final section of a deep-sea pipeline was installed on Sunday in northern China’s Bohai Bay, according to state broadcaster CCTV. As one of China’s largest offshore oil-production bases, Bohai Bay now hosts the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327436/china-surpasses-10000km-subsea-pipelines-boosting-offshore-energy-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327436/china-surpasses-10000km-subsea-pipelines-boosting-offshore-energy-network?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China, which already boasts the world’s largest energy-storage capacity, is set to nearly double that level by 2027, with an anticipated investment of 250 billion yuan (US$35 billion), according to Beijing’s latest action plan. As outlined in the action plan, China’s “new-energy storage system” capacity – primarily based on lithium-ion batteries – is set to exceed 180 gigawatts within two years, up from 95GW as of June. Released jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission and the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325610/china-supercharge-energy-storage-tech-world-leading-advancements-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325610/china-supercharge-energy-storage-tech-world-leading-advancements-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Targeting its overwhelming coal power capacity – enough to run the entire United States – China is investigating plans to convert retiring coal-fired plants into nuclear power stations. Driven by decarbonisation goals and land scarcity, this “Coal to Nuclear” (C2N) strategy would look to use retiring plants’ grid and water access for compact, meltdown-proof reactors, potentially offering a faster path to clean energy than building nuclear sites from scratch. And China could be the only country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3325263/china-mulls-converting-coal-fired-power-plants-nuclear-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3325263/china-mulls-converting-coal-fired-power-plants-nuclear-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Hong Kong-based start-up has developed an artificial intelligence-powered system that detects the origin and size of factory emissions, which could be applied for monitoring purposes in mainland China and other countries, according to its founder. ANTEI AI Innovation Hub created the AURA framework for real-time detection of industrial smoke emissions with an eye toward implementing the system across China, founder and group managing director Matey Yordanov said in an interview on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324786/hong-kong-ai-start-develops-emission-monitoring-system-mainland-target-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324786/hong-kong-ai-start-develops-emission-monitoring-system-mainland-target-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang One of the European Union’s top power systems experts, Wang Xiongfei, has come full circle after returning to China to take a leading academic role at Tsinghua University. As the newly appointed Xinghua chair professor and doctoral supervisor, Wang brings years of knowledge and experience in European power electronics and grid stability. He has led more than 40 research projects funded by the EU, Denmark, Sweden and various corporations. He has collaborated with grid companies in Germany, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3324355/europe-power-guru-wang-xiongfei-returns-china-bringing-expertise-grid-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3324355/europe-power-guru-wang-xiongfei-returns-china-bringing-expertise-grid-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong was responsible for nearly half of the green bonds issued in Asia in 2024 and saw a surge in sustainability-related funds, as strong demand from regional mainland governments and start-ups raised the city’s stature as a finance hub for climate-friendly projects, according to a minister. Green bond issuance in Hong Kong last year reached US$43 billion, representing 45 per cent of the region’s total and keeping the city atop the league table in Asia for the seventh consecutive year, said... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323896/hong-kongs-crop-green-bonds-esg-funds-flourishes-under-mainland-chinas-climate-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323896/hong-kongs-crop-green-bonds-esg-funds-flourishes-under-mainland-chinas-climate-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China expects to surpass a goal of getting 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources this year because solar and wind power expansion is outpacing electricity demand growth. Renewables generation rose by about 240 terawatt-hours (tWh), or 15.6 per cent, in the first half of the year, surpassing an increase of about 170 tWh, or 3.7 per cent, for energy consumption, based on National Energy Administration data. The non-fossil fuel share of power consumption will rise from 19.8 per cent last... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323341/china-races-ahead-renewables-trump-sidelines-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323341/china-races-ahead-renewables-trump-sidelines-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:00:15 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Despite having the world’s biggest network for charging electric vehicles (EVs), coupled with the largest new-energy storage capacity, China is not resting on its laurels. Fresh pledges from Beijing call for further accelerating the development of China’s new-energy system amid an increasingly aggressive push to meet carbon-neutrality targets and expedite the nation’s green-energy transition. “China has built the largest EV-charging network in the world, with two charging stations for every five... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323215/china-already-worlds-new-energy-leader-not-taking-its-foot-pedal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323215/china-already-worlds-new-energy-leader-not-taking-its-foot-pedal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:29:55 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China will accelerate the expansion of its carbon market to incorporate major industries by 2027, according to guidelines issued by top policymakers. By 2030, China hopes to have in place “a transparent, standardised and internationally aligned voluntary reduction market”, according to a document on Monday from the Communist Party Central Committee and the State Council. The measures will help deliver President Xi Jinping’s pledge to peak China’s emissions by the end of the decade. The plan also... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3323168/china-expand-carbon-market-major-industries-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3323168/china-expand-carbon-market-major-industries-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:07:50 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists expect to soon make a breakthrough in airborne wind turbine technology, with the world’s first megawatt-level system set to take flight, according to the project team. The floating wind power generation system resembles an airship and is being held up as a possible power solution for remote locations and disaster zones where conventional power supplies cannot be used or are inadequate. The researchers said their system’s output – more than 30 times more powerful than the best... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322982/looks-airship-acts-windmill-engineer-says-china-brink-turbine-leap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322982/looks-airship-acts-windmill-engineer-says-china-brink-turbine-leap?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 04:00:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is banking on China to support a landmark UN effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions generated by international shipping as governments prepare for a decisive October vote on the plan. One of the staunchest supporters of the International Maritime Organisation’s proposed Net-Zero Framework, Brasilia is waiting for China to clarify its position on implementation of the plan, Ports and Airports Minister Sílvio Filho told reporters on Wednesday. The situation is setting up a stand-off with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322577/brazil-seeks-chinas-support-salvage-maritime-emissions-pact-opposed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322577/brazil-seeks-chinas-support-salvage-maritime-emissions-pact-opposed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:06:00 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie China has been increasing investment in renewable energy to give its economy a boost. In the first half of 2025, China’s solar power generation capacity jumped 54.2 per cent year on year, while wind power’s generation capacity increased by 22.7 per cent in the same time period. The country is also constructing what is set to be the world’s largest hydropower project, expected to cost less than 1 per cent of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). Reduced consumption of crude oil coupled with lower... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320834/chinas-clean-energy-transition-solves-several-problems-once?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320834/chinas-clean-energy-transition-solves-several-problems-once?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:28:59 +0000 Nora Mankel,Sam Phillips Nora Mankel,Sam Phillips Over the past decade, clean-up efforts in East Asia have reduced air pollution significantly, improving quality of life and health in the region. But they may also have inadvertently contributed to speeding up global warming, by removing particles that helped to cool the Earth. Pollutants are made up of aerosols, liquid and solid particles suspended in the air. Although their removal is good for public health, this can lead to less cloud and less ground protection from the sun, and may have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320546/new-climate-study-revisits-tie-between-air-pollution-east-asia-and-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320546/new-climate-study-revisits-tie-between-air-pollution-east-asia-and-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 06:00:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial When Premier Li Qiang broke ground for the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo mega-dam, he marked the start of one of the most extraordinary infrastructure projects in world history. Located in Medog, a remote county on the Tibetan Plateau, the super-dam could produce, when completed, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze and will play a decisive role in China’s commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2060. It will be a big part of the renewable energy mix that includes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue China’s construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet has boosted related stocks, as analysts predict that infrastructure construction companies, energy developers, and power grid equipment manufacturers would benefit from the substantial investment into what Beijing calls the “project of the century”. Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday announced the start of the project, situated on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3319091/chinas-mega-dam-project-tibet-sparks-stock-surge-hydropower-infrastructure-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3319091/chinas-mega-dam-project-tibet-sparks-stock-surge-hydropower-infrastructure-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 05:22:16 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have developed a method to turn the alcohol methanol into white sugar, which they say could allow captured carbon dioxide to be converted into food. The team’s biotransformation system produces sucrose without the need to grow sugar cane or sugar beets – crops that require large amounts of land and water resources. Their method to convert methanol – which can be derived from industrial waste or made by hydrogenating carbon dioxide – into sucrose using enzymes was also adapted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318025/chinese-team-says-carbon-dioxide-can-turn-sugar-offering-solution-global-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318025/chinese-team-says-carbon-dioxide-can-turn-sugar-offering-solution-global-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue Chinese wind-power developer Envision Energy has commissioned the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant, as Beijing seeks to decarbonise its hard-to-abate industries and dominate the growing clean-fuel market. The Shanghai-headquartered company launched the first phase of the project in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, on Wednesday, which is capable of producing 320,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia, Envision said. “This is more than a technological milestone,” said Zhang Lei, Envision’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3317846/envision-launches-worlds-largest-green-hydrogen-ammonia-plant-inner-mongolia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3317846/envision-launches-worlds-largest-green-hydrogen-ammonia-plant-inner-mongolia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:17:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Already the world’s largest investor in energy, China is poised to shore up that position in the coming years by continuing to splash out on renewable energy, as international experts say energy security has become a key driver in the growth of global investments this year. China’s share of global clean energy spending has risen from a quarter to almost a third in the past decade, underpinned by strategic investments in a wide range of technologies, including solar, wind, hydropower, nuclear,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317823/chinas-strategic-green-investments-fuel-renewable-sector-world-energy-investment-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317823/chinas-strategic-green-investments-fuel-renewable-sector-world-energy-investment-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue China has ramped up offshore wind energy development, as the form of renewable energy aligns with Beijing’s goals of carbon neutrality, energy security and developing the marine economy to boost economic growth. China added more than 4.4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity in the first six months of the year, the same amount it added in all of 2024, according to a report by the non-profit Global Energy Monitor (GEM) on Wednesday. The report said the country was expected to add at least 9GW... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3317404/china-spins-offshore-wind-energy-beijing-promotes-marine-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3317404/china-spins-offshore-wind-energy-beijing-promotes-marine-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 23:30:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela In the first high-precision satellite mapping of carbon dioxide emissions from large international coal power plants, Chinese scientists have found that existing databases are underestimating discharges from facilities across the globe. They include China’s Tuoketuo – the largest coal-fired power station in the world – and Alabama’s James H. Miller Jnr facility, the most polluting plant in the United States, according to a paper published on June 9 by the peer-reviewed Journal of Cleaner... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316469/chinese-scientists-uncover-coal-powers-dirty-secret-satellite-data-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316469/chinese-scientists-uncover-coal-powers-dirty-secret-satellite-data-study?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela The world’s energy demands in 2050 could be met by an interconnected global solar-wind energy system producing three times the amount of power needed at a lower cost than independent regional systems, according to a Chinese-led study. The researchers studied how to create a network drawing on regions with abundant renewable energy potential to provide energy across and between continents to areas with high needs. While an international renewable energy market could be created by optimising solar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315587/china-led-study-proposes-global-green-energy-network-solve-power-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3315587/china-led-study-proposes-global-green-energy-network-solve-power-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:00:09 +0000