Climate Cooperation China
On behalf of the International Climate Initiative (IKI)

New policy proposes three progressive steps to develop China’s new renewable-based power system

On 6 January 2023, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) released the draft policy ‘Blue Book on Developing the Renewable Energy-based Power System’ for public comment. The policy sets 2030, 2045 and 2060 as milestones and suggests a “three-step” roadmap for the development stages of China’s new power system:

  1. Now – 2030: accelerating the transition phase from fossil energy to renewables, where China will continue to add new coal power plants for security of supply reasons, while renewables will dominate the generation incrementally
  2. 2030 – 2045: formation phase, where renewables will dominate installed capacity and cleaning up generation from coal power plants will be accelerated
  3. 2045 – 2060: consolidation and improvement phase, where renewables will dominate power generation and while PtX and hydrogen are well integrated

By highlighting the transition from “generation – grid – load” to “generation – grid – load – storage,” the Blue Book indicates the role of energy storage as the fourth essential element of China’s new power system. Different energy storage technologies are foreseen in various application scenarios with distinct steps of implementation:

  • Phase I (present-2030) aims for meeting intra-day balancing demand.
  • Phase II (2030-2045) focuses on longer term technologies including mechanical storage (pumped-hydro, compressed air, flywheels etc.), thermal storage and hydrogen (>10 hours).
  • Phase III (2045-2060) achieves synergistic integration of multiple energy storage technologies.

The Blue Book once again stated the essential role of hydrogen in the future energy system. Additionally, it requests a full replacement of fuel vehicles by low-emission vehicles in the future; the development of a roadmap for hydrogen in energy storage and sector coupling is also foreseen. The Blue Book thus provides positive signals for the long-term development of China’s hydrogen industry.

Further Information (CHN)

More project related news

State Council approves demonstration projects for sustainable development

In January 2025, China’s State Council approved the Implementation Opinions on Building Pioneer Demonstrations for a Beautiful China, setting the stage for integrating high-quality development with ecological protection. Focusing on green and low-carbon growth, biodiversity conservation, and ecological governance, the plan targets key regions like the Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, and Yellow River Basin. By 2027, these pilot projects will serve as national benchmarks under the Beautiful China Initiative. Closely aligned with the Urban-Act Project, this initiative accelerates climate-resilient urban planning and sustainable development.

Read More »

State Council approves Territorial Spatial Master Plans (2021-2035) for Urban-Act’s pilot cities

By March 2025, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China had approved 40 territorial spatial master plans for provinces, provincial capitals, and municipalities for the period 2021–2035. Among these are the recently endorsed plans for Xi’an and Xiamen, which were selected as low-carbon and climate-resilient pilot cities under the IKI Urban-Act project. These plans lay out a spatial governance framework that integrates ecological, agricultural, and urban spaces, aiming to safeguard national food security and ecological integrity while supporting sustainable urban and regional development over the medium and long term.

Read More »

Contact Us

Email:
climatechangechina@giz.de
Address:
Sunflower Tower 1100 (11F)
37 Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District
100125 Beijing, PR China
Newsletter:
IKI China (in “Project and programme newsletters” section)

LinkedIn:

WeChat: