Coal storage near Pingdingshan Power Plant (Henan, China), Aug. 25, 2022. STR/AFP
It’s a real vicious circle: to compensate for energy shortages caused by a historic drought and scorching temperatures due to global warming, China is giving high priority to coal, which is recognized as one of the main causes of said warming.
The Yangtze River, which has its source on the Tibetan plateau and flows into the sea after a distance of more than 6,300 kilometers in the direction of Shanghai, has had an exceptionally low current since mid-June. As a result, the provinces it passes through, particularly Sichuan, can no longer use its water to generate electricity, while the extreme heat necessitates air conditioning and spikes in electricity consumption. To make up the difference and reduce blackouts, the authorities run coal-fired power plants as much as possible.
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The National Energy Administration confirmed this on Aug. 24. From now on, its “main task” is “to ensure the supply of more coal” by authorizing the opening of new mines and ensuring the “stability of imports”. While the country was producing 12 million tons of coal every day in July – up from 10 million a year earlier – this government aims to reach 12.5 million. In the first seven months of the year, coal production reached 2.56 billion tons, up 11.5% from the same period in 2021. Imports increased by 24% in July (to 23.5 million tons) compared to the previous month.
energy mix
pros celebrate. In Guangxi, the international coal fair taking place in Yulin in the autumn has to blow up the walls. In 2021, 60,000 square meters accommodated around 500 exhibitors. But this year, in view of the high demand, 100,000 square meters are planned, say the organizers.
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Coal occupies an important place in China’s energy mix. It accounts for 56% of the electricity produced in the country, well ahead of oil (20%), gas (8%), hydroelectric power (7%), renewables (5%) and nuclear power (2%). The proportion of coal is decreasing in relative value, but is increasing in absolute value in view of the increasing electricity consumption.
“Beijing’s plan is to turn coal into an auxiliary resource,” said Greenpeace’s Wu Jinghan
However, with China pledged, through President Xi Jinping’s vote, to reduce its carbon emissions “before 2030” and achieve carbon neutrality “before 2060”, coal seemed less and less on the courts in Beijing. “We will strictly limit the increase in coal consumption during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and reduce it during the 15th Plan (2026-2030),” Xi Jinping said in April 2021 during a summit he organized with US President Joe Biden about the climate.
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