China vows to ramp up west-to-east power output as AI, hi-tech manufacturing fuel demand
New targets include a major expansion of renewable energy and more electricity funnelled to eastern regions
The targets were outlined in guidelines issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, together with the National Energy Administration.
In addition to strengthening long-distance transmission lines that move power from the resource-rich west to major demand centres in the east, the guidelines called for adding about 40 GW of interprovincial transfer capacity by 2030, aiming to “effectively improve the grid’s ability to optimise resource allocation”.
The west-to-east transmission project was estimated to reach a capacity of over 340 GW by the end of 2025, up 25 per cent from 270 GW at the end of the 13th five-year plan, according to Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily, which reported the figures in October.
Xi pledges to cut China’s climate emissions by up to 10%
On the renewable energy front, China aims to boost the grid’s capacity to accommodate 900 GW of distributed renewables by 2030, while supporting more than 40 million charging stations.
By 2035, the backbone grid will be fully coordinated with distribution networks and smart microgrids, with significant improvements in digitalisation, intelligent management and safety governance, according to the guidelines.
“[This will] effectively support the safe and stable operation of the new power system and the healthy development of all grid-connected entities, while contributing to the achievement of the country’s nationally determined contributions,” they added.