Table Of ContentChina’s Renewable Energy Revolution
DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0001
Building a Sustainable Political Economy: SPERI Research & Policy
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Titles include:
John A. Mathews and Hao Tan
CHINA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY REVOLUTION
Matthew Watson
UNECONOMIC ECONOMICS AND THE CRISIS OF THE MODEL WORLD
Colin Hay
THE FAILURE OF ANGLO-LIBERAL CAPITALISM
Building a Sustainable Political Economy: SPERI Research and Policy
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DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0001
China’s Renewable
Energy Revolution
John A. Mathews
Professor, Macquarie University, Australia
and
Hao Tan
Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle, Australia
DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0001
© John A. Mathews and Hao Tan 2015
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First published 2015 by
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doi: 10.1057/9781137546258
Contents
Analytical Contents vi
List of Boxes viii
List of Figures ix
List of Tables xii
Preface xiii
List of Abbreviations xvi
1 Introduction 1
2 Major Trends in China’s Energy Revolution 22
3 China’s Energy Producing and Using
Industries – Industrial Dynamics 41
4 Transformation of the Electric Power
Sector – Creating a 21st Century
Infrastructure 73
5 China’s Energy Firms: New Dragon
Multinationals 107
6 Global Impact of China’s Energy Revolution 127
7 Concluding Remarks 144
Appendix: Energy and Power Units and Measures 150
Bibliography 152
Index 159
DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0001 v
Analytical Contents
1 Introduction 1
China’s black and green energy economy 4
Features of China’s renewable energy revolution 13
2 Major Trends in China’s Energy Revolution 22
Primary energy trends 23
Declining dependence on coal 25
China’s electric power system 28
Future projections for China’s energy system 34
3 China’s Energy Producing and Using
Industries – Industrial Dynamics 41
Fossil fuel industries: coal; oil and gas 42
Non-fossil fuel energy sector: hydro power,
nuclear power, bioenergy, wind power,
solar power 49
Renewable energy manufacturing industries:
wind turbines, solar PV 58
Energy intensive industries 66
4 Transformation of the Electric Power Sector –
Creating a 21st Century Infrastructure 73
Is China’s electric power system greening or
further blackening? Electric energy generation,
generating capacity, power grid investment 74
The electric power industry and its principal
stakeholders: grid companies and smart
grid implementation 2010–2020, development
of ultra-high-voltage transmission technologies,
large-scale energy storage systems 82
vi DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0002
Analytical Contents vii
China’s electric power generating equipment industry 89
China’s high-speed rail strategy as complement 89
The changing technological paradigm: upgrading and
technological capability building of the thermal power
sector, learning curves and cost reduction in renewable
energy-based power generation 93
Government policies and a top-down approach for the
energy revolution 98
Strategic Emerging Industry (SEI) Initiatives and
prospective 13th five year plan 98
5 China’s Energy Firms: New Dragon Multinationals 107
China as energy latecomer and the building of renewable
energy industries 108
Electric power grid: SGCC’s international expansion 116
China’s policy settings and regulatory framework for energy 118
Financing China’s energy revolution 123
6 Global Impact of China’s Energy Revolution 127
Falling costs and their global impact 128
China’s carbon burning and emissions 130
Resource implications of China’s energy revolution 132
China’s urbanization challenge: Wuxi, Baoding 135
Trade conflicts engendered by China’s promotion of
renewable energy industries 138
China’s energy strategy and world development 141
7 Concluding Remarks 144
China as a model for the developing world 146
Appendix: Energy and Power Units and Measures 150
Bibliography 152
Index 159
DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0002
List of Boxes
2.1 Chinese government’s energy-related targets
for 2015, 2020 and 2030 32
4.1 Shanghai Waigaoqiao no.3 power station 94
4.2 ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ policies in China’s energy
revolution 103
5.1 Chinese wind turbine manufacturers 111
5.2 Chinese PV manufacturers 113
5.3 State grid corporation of China 116
5.4 ‘Under the Dome’ and ‘Silent Spring’ 121
6.1 Impact of falling costs and prices for
renewables: The case of Chilean minerals 129
viii DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0003
List of Figures
1.1 Chinese thermal power generation and
rising coal consumption up to 2014 5
1.2 China’s wind power generation, 2000–2014 6
1.3 Electricity generation: wind power vs.
nuclear in China 8
1.4 Renewable electric power capacity, China
and other countries, 2013 9
1.5 Proportion of installed power capacity from
renewable sources (hydro, wind and solar):
1990–2014, and 2015 target based on the
12th FYP 9
1.6 Investment on non-fossil fuels-based and
WWS-based projects as proportion of the
total investment in power generation projects 11
1.7 China’s energy pathways to 2050: fossil fuels
versus renewable energies 12
1.8 Energy intensity of China vs other countries 14
1.9 China’s carbon intensity, 1980–2013 15
1.10 China’s carbon emissions – past and projected 16
2.1 China’s trends in primary energy, with rising
proportion of clean sources, 2001–2030 (proj) 24
2.2 Total energy consumption and coal
consumption in China 26
2.3 Total coal burnt in China and energy
consumption, 2000–2030 (proj) 27
2.4 Total coal consumption and coal consumption
for thermal power generation 28
2.5 China electricity generation, 1980–2014 29
2.6 US generation of electric energy, 1980–2014 29
DOI: 10.1057/9781137546258.0004 ix
