Renewable energy use leaps in China

Renewable energy sources supplied 377 terawatt hours to China’s power grid network in the first half of the year.

The State Electricity Regulatory Commission said on-grid power generated from renewable sources accounted for 17% of total power received by the national grid during the first half, up 15.97% year-on-year.

The commission said fostering power generation from renewables is a long-term policy for China due to economic and environmental concerns. It noted that China’s grid operators prioritized the utilization of power from clean energy sources during the first half while reducing the contribution of thermal power that provides 80% China’s total power supply.

On-grid wind power surged 26.8% year-on-year to 50.4 TWh in the first half while on-grid hydropower reached 291.2 TWh.

Nuclear power, which the commission classifies a renewable energy source, contributed 46.4 TWh over the same period.