Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2020 shows a thermal coal yard of Huanghua Port in Cangzhou City, north China's Hebei Province. Huanghua Port, one of the key ports for thermal coal transportation in China. (Xinhua/Wang Min)

China aims to cut coal use to 56 percent of total energy consumption this year, down from 57 percent, while lifting electricity consumption to 28 percent from 27 percent, according to a government guideline released on Thursday.

China is currently pushing for a clean and low-carbon energy transformation to honor its commitments to reach a peak in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

To achieve its targets, electricity generated by wind and photovoltaic power will account for about 11 percent of the country's electricity consumption, the guideline issued by the National Energy Administration said.

The guideline also underscored cooperation, including promoting energy infrastructure with neighboring countries, carrying out cooperation in electric power, oil and gas, and nuclear power with key countries and key projects, and expanding energy cooperation with the developed countries.

China's solemn commitment to green and low-carbon development and its active response to restrict climate change has set an example for the world and accelerated the pace of Chinese renewable energy to expand overseas.

In an annual filing by LONGi Green Energy Technology on Wednesday, the company said its overseas revenue in 2020 hit 21.46 billion yuan ($3.3 billion), a year-on-year increase of 70 percent, while the global market share of LONGi's photovoltaic component products rose to 19 percent, up 11 percentage points from 2019.

Carbon neutrality is a global trend. China's commitment to carbon neutrality and the guidance of policies supports the promising outlook for global cooperation and boosts the confidence of Chinese companies to go overseas, Wang Yingge, general manager of LONGi's branding department, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"In this context, LONGi's overseas business accounts for more than 50 percent of its photovoltaic module sales," said Wang. "For 2021, it is expected that we can lift LONGi's global market share in the field of photovoltaic modules to 25-30 percent."

In terms of nuclear energy, China National Nuclear Corp has established scientific, technological and trade relations with more than 40 countries and regions, carrying out cooperation on nuclear power and uranium resources, and nuclear technology applications within the industry chain, according to a statement sent by the group to the Global Times.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that electricity generation from renewables is set to leap by more than 8 percent in 2021 to reach 8,300 terawatt hours, marking the largest annual increase since the 1970s. 

Global Times