Photo: thepaper.cn

The 2023 World New Energy and New Materials Conference (WEMC) kicked off on Wednesday in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, known for its rich energy resources. The conference witnessed the signing of numerous billion-dollar new orders, highlighting the government and industry's commitment to advancing clean energy development while maintaining energy security.

On the sidelines of the conference, several cities in Inner Mongolia inked agreements with business representatives, resulting in a total of 33 agreements for new energy and materials projects, amounting to a combined value of 429.25 billion yuan ($59.25 billion).

Furthermore, in addition to government departments, the event attracted a wide range of participants, including representatives from domestic universities, research institutions, industry associations, relevant central enterprises, and international businesses. They all aimed to seize the flourishing opportunities arising from China's new energy development and transformation.

Inner Mongolia has consistently held a leading position in terms of energy reserves and has played a vital role in China's energy security and the transition to new energy sources.

The region ranks first nationwide in terms of reserves in 22 mineral resources such as coal and rare earth minerals and also boasts the highest wind energy potential and the second-highest solar energy potential in the country.

While effectively utilizing local energy resources, government officials highlighted at the conference their commitment to further improving the rate of coal conversion and deepening processing while pledging to vigorously promote the development of the entire new energy industry chain.

As China, the world's second-largest economy, strives to achieve its goals of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality as a responsible country, promoting the development of new energy and clean energy has taken on greater importance in its pursuit of high-quality development.

Inner Mongolia, as a major energy region, serves as a demonstration for clean energy transformation, with some significant achievements being made.

Currently, the region's installed capacity for new energy has approached 70 million kilowatts, with planned and under-construction projects reaching a scale of 150 million kilowatts during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and over 300 million kilowatts during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Wednesday's conference has arranged exhibition areas for various new energy sectors, including wind energy, solar energy, and hydrogen energy. A total of 107 key enterprises, including state-owned enterprises, participated in the exhibition.