Page 364 - 2021 White Paper
P. 364
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
Yunnan-Guangdong UHVDC power transmission nearly $44 billion worth of hydropower projects
project with a transmission capacity of 5,000 MW globally since 2000, according to researchers at
was commissioned, and the world’s first UHV Boston University’s Global Development Policy
multi-terminal DC project, the 800 kV Wudongde– Center. Chinese hydro companies are investing
Guangdong and Guangxi transmission began heavily in other countries in South Asia, South East
construction. Pumped storage is essential to provide Asia, Africa and Latin America (Bloomberg, China’s
flexibility to the power system and continues to be a Mega-Dams).
priority in China’s energy transition. The 1,200 MW
Shenzhen station was commissioned in 2018 and Nuclear Power
is the country’s first large scale pumped storage
built in a city, in addition the 600 MW Qiongzhong China probably didn’t hit its nuclear energy
station entered into operation. Furthermore, the target in 2020, but that’s unlikely to derail a broader
main civil works of three pumped storage projects ambition to become the planet’s chief proponent of
(1,200 MW Fu Kang, 1,800 MW Jurong and 1,200 the climate-friendly fuel by the end of the decade.
MW Yongtai) began construction in 2018. A number Government researchers have said that nuclear
of conventional projects were also commissioned, capacity could more than double to 130 gigawatts
including 1,900 MW Huangdeng, 348 MW Sha Ping by 2030. While that would be only about 10% of
II, 920 MW Dahuaqiao and 420 MW Li Di stations. national power generation, such is China’s heft in
Meanwhile, substantial progress has been made energy markets it would still save the amount of
with the world’s largest hydropower project carbon that Germany emits annually from burning
currently under construction, China Three Gorges coal, oil and gas. In the meantime, China looks like
Corporation’s (CTG) 16,000 MW Baihetan project, it’ll miss its goal of 58 gigawatts of nuclear by the
with the completion of intake towers for spillway end of this year. Why that is, as with virtually every
tunnels (IHA). recent stumble associated with atomic energy, dates
to the catastrophe at Fukushima in Japan nine years
China is the world's leader when it comes to ago, which has slowed new projects and halted
hydropower, generating 1,200 TWh per year (data approvals. Still, China will pass France as the world’s
from 2017). This amount of power surpasses No. 2 nuclear generator in 2022 and claim the top
the total electrical power produced in developed spot from the US four years after that. China had
countries such as Russia, Japan and Canada. almost 49 gigawatts installed as of 2019 and should
China's two largest hydropower projects, the get into the mid-fifties in 2020. New plants, or adding
Three Gorges Dam and the Baihetan Dam (which reactors at existing facilities, takes years to plan and
will be operational by next year) will produce construct, and a three-year freeze on approvals
massive amounts of power when they run at their that ended in 2019 has thinned the pipeline for
full potential. When the Baihetan Dam reaches its this decade. Starting in 2021, China is expected to
full capacity (within the next two years), China will start construction on six to eight reactors a year.
operate half of the world's biggest hydropower Employment is now the top priority for China’s
plants (5 out of 10) in just a decade. Nevertheless, leadership, and a typical 1-gigawatt reactor could
no massive dam project will probably be realized create 50,000 jobs. Government regulators have
from now on in China, since the government is delayed approvals for new units and are waiting
aiming at boosting solar and wind power. This for new, domestic reactor-types under construction
decision comes after considering the decreasing to be completed and demonstrate successful and
costs of the aforementioned energy sources and the safe operation. This is likely to happen in 2021,
increasing difficulty of finding fitting locations for and should lead to a new round of nuclear plants
establishing mega-dams. However, China will not using domestic Chinese technology. While China’s
completely abandon hydropower projects. Instead, vast bureaucracy and competing fiefdoms create
smaller dam facilities that will generate renewable their own risks around the number and pace of
power for urgent situations will be constructed approvals, the coronavirus looms large among
(Geoengineer). As China’s dam builders pack up external pressures. Reduced power demand due
their tools at home, they are expanding overseas. to China’s lockdown forced CGN Power to delay
China’s major development banks have financed
364
Yunnan-Guangdong UHVDC power transmission nearly $44 billion worth of hydropower projects
project with a transmission capacity of 5,000 MW globally since 2000, according to researchers at
was commissioned, and the world’s first UHV Boston University’s Global Development Policy
multi-terminal DC project, the 800 kV Wudongde– Center. Chinese hydro companies are investing
Guangdong and Guangxi transmission began heavily in other countries in South Asia, South East
construction. Pumped storage is essential to provide Asia, Africa and Latin America (Bloomberg, China’s
flexibility to the power system and continues to be a Mega-Dams).
priority in China’s energy transition. The 1,200 MW
Shenzhen station was commissioned in 2018 and Nuclear Power
is the country’s first large scale pumped storage
built in a city, in addition the 600 MW Qiongzhong China probably didn’t hit its nuclear energy
station entered into operation. Furthermore, the target in 2020, but that’s unlikely to derail a broader
main civil works of three pumped storage projects ambition to become the planet’s chief proponent of
(1,200 MW Fu Kang, 1,800 MW Jurong and 1,200 the climate-friendly fuel by the end of the decade.
MW Yongtai) began construction in 2018. A number Government researchers have said that nuclear
of conventional projects were also commissioned, capacity could more than double to 130 gigawatts
including 1,900 MW Huangdeng, 348 MW Sha Ping by 2030. While that would be only about 10% of
II, 920 MW Dahuaqiao and 420 MW Li Di stations. national power generation, such is China’s heft in
Meanwhile, substantial progress has been made energy markets it would still save the amount of
with the world’s largest hydropower project carbon that Germany emits annually from burning
currently under construction, China Three Gorges coal, oil and gas. In the meantime, China looks like
Corporation’s (CTG) 16,000 MW Baihetan project, it’ll miss its goal of 58 gigawatts of nuclear by the
with the completion of intake towers for spillway end of this year. Why that is, as with virtually every
tunnels (IHA). recent stumble associated with atomic energy, dates
to the catastrophe at Fukushima in Japan nine years
China is the world's leader when it comes to ago, which has slowed new projects and halted
hydropower, generating 1,200 TWh per year (data approvals. Still, China will pass France as the world’s
from 2017). This amount of power surpasses No. 2 nuclear generator in 2022 and claim the top
the total electrical power produced in developed spot from the US four years after that. China had
countries such as Russia, Japan and Canada. almost 49 gigawatts installed as of 2019 and should
China's two largest hydropower projects, the get into the mid-fifties in 2020. New plants, or adding
Three Gorges Dam and the Baihetan Dam (which reactors at existing facilities, takes years to plan and
will be operational by next year) will produce construct, and a three-year freeze on approvals
massive amounts of power when they run at their that ended in 2019 has thinned the pipeline for
full potential. When the Baihetan Dam reaches its this decade. Starting in 2021, China is expected to
full capacity (within the next two years), China will start construction on six to eight reactors a year.
operate half of the world's biggest hydropower Employment is now the top priority for China’s
plants (5 out of 10) in just a decade. Nevertheless, leadership, and a typical 1-gigawatt reactor could
no massive dam project will probably be realized create 50,000 jobs. Government regulators have
from now on in China, since the government is delayed approvals for new units and are waiting
aiming at boosting solar and wind power. This for new, domestic reactor-types under construction
decision comes after considering the decreasing to be completed and demonstrate successful and
costs of the aforementioned energy sources and the safe operation. This is likely to happen in 2021,
increasing difficulty of finding fitting locations for and should lead to a new round of nuclear plants
establishing mega-dams. However, China will not using domestic Chinese technology. While China’s
completely abandon hydropower projects. Instead, vast bureaucracy and competing fiefdoms create
smaller dam facilities that will generate renewable their own risks around the number and pace of
power for urgent situations will be constructed approvals, the coronavirus looms large among
(Geoengineer). As China’s dam builders pack up external pressures. Reduced power demand due
their tools at home, they are expanding overseas. to China’s lockdown forced CGN Power to delay
China’s major development banks have financed
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