Inner Mongolia Sets Renewable Energy Targets

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which is one of the biggest coal producers in the nation, has unveiled a bold action plan to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and commits to producing more renewable energy than coal-fired power by that year.

The action plan, which was unveiled on Friday, helps the nation meet its climate goals of reaching carbon neutrality before 2060 and peaking CO2 emissions by the end of this decade.

According to the action plan, the installed capacity for renewable energy generation in the area will surpass that for coal-fired power by 2025. Such renewable energy capacity will surpass 200 million kilowatts by the end of this decade, which is nearly nine times the Three Gorges Dam’s capacity in Hubei province.

With a capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts, the Three Gorges hydropower plant is the one with the largest output worldwide.

According to the document, Inner Mongolia will work to create a national demonstration zone for a contemporary economy based on renewable energy. Promoting the building of large-scale bases for the development of wind and solar energy is the top priority in the work.

2019 saw 8.1 percent of Inner Mongolia’s energy consumption come from non-fossil fuels. The region will make an effort to increase the percentage to 18% in 2025 and then to 25% by 2030.

The transmission of more renewable energy to other areas will also be stepped up in Inner Mongolia. New cross-regional power lines should use renewable energy for at least half of their transmission.

The Inner Mongolia regional government has announced that it will implement more preferential policies to support the green transition.

Tax preferences will be implemented, according to the statement, to encourage resource utilization in its entirety as well as energy and water conservation. The area will persuade financial institutions to give projects that can significantly cut carbon emissions favorable interest rates.

Inner Mongolia has improved its renewable energy sector significantly in recent years.

A solar photovoltaic device factory in Ordos with a total investment of 30 billion yuan ($4.18 billion) is anticipated to begin production in mid-2023 and reach its maximum production capacity by the end of 2024.

When the plant is fully operational, the solar photovoltaic products’ combined annual power generation capacity will be comparable to that of two Three Gorges Dams, according to local authorities.

The factory, created by Longi Green Energy Technology Co., the top provider of solar PV solutions globally, is expected to bring in 70 billion yuan annually.

“Once completed, it will be the world’s largest individual solar photovoltaic manufacturing base,” said The project’s general manager Zhu Penghao.

The facility is situated in a zero-carbon industrial park, which, according to local authorities, uses the Internet of Things and big data to create a zero-carbon energy supply system. By the end of 2023, all of the park’s power will be carbon-free.

Reference: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202211/22/WS637c2beaa31049175432b2a3.html