The latest plan is released! A roadmap for the low-carbon energy transition in the 14th Five-Year Plan

On March 22, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the "14th Five-Year Plan for a Modern Energy System" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), jointly issued by the NDRC and the National Energy Administration.

"my country has entered a new stage in building a modern energy system." The Plan states that my country's energy security has entered a critical period, the low-carbon energy transition has entered an important window of opportunity, and the modern energy industry has entered a period of innovation and upgrading.

The Plan sets out the main goals for building a modern energy system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. These include: ensuring a more secure and robust energy security; increasing the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption to approximately 20% by 2025; reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 13.5% over the past five years; and ensuring an average annual growth of over 7% in energy R&D funding during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with approximately 50 new key technology breakthrough areas.

The Plan details the following initiatives to accelerate the green and low-carbon transition of energy: comprehensively promote the large-scale development and high-quality development of wind and solar power; develop hydropower according to local conditions, aiming for a conventional hydropower installed capacity of approximately 380 million kilowatts by 2025; actively, safely, and orderly develop nuclear power, aiming for an operating nuclear power installed capacity of approximately 70 million kilowatts by 2025; and promote the evolution of the power system to accommodate large-scale, high-proportion renewable energy.

The Plan emphasizes accelerating research and development of key core technologies and equipment in the energy sector, promoting major breakthroughs in green and low-carbon technologies, and accelerating the digital and intelligent upgrade of the entire energy supply chain.

Regarding enhancing energy science and technology innovation capabilities, the Plan proposes consolidating advantages in non-fossil energy technology and equipment, strengthening technological innovation and application in high-proportion renewable energy systems; accelerating technological breakthroughs in new power systems and new-generation advanced nuclear energy; improving the level of clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy; conducting concentrated research on key technologies for new energy storage, and striving for breakthroughs in key technologies for the entire hydrogen energy supply chain.

The plan also specifies that a number of forward-looking and strategic national major science and technology demonstration projects will be implemented in cutting-edge areas such as new power systems, safe and efficient energy storage, hydrogen energy, a new generation of nuclear energy systems, carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage, and natural gas hydrates. (Science and Technology Daily)