(CFP Photo)
East China's Jiangsu Province plans to increase the installed capacity of renewable energy to 66 million kilowatts during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), according to the province’s Development and Reform Commission.
In the recently released special planning for the sector, 15% of the total energy consumption will come from renewable energy by 2025. Jiangsu’s installed capacity of wind and solar power will reach 28 million kilowatts and 35 million kilowatts in the period, an increase of 12.53 million kilowatts and 18.16 million kilowatts respectively, followed by biomass energy capacity of more than 3 million kilowatts.
Jiangsu will establish a system of competitive allocation for offshore wind power resources and accelerate the construction of the approved projects. Technological and policy efforts will also be made to stimulate innovation, lower the cost, scale up development, and pilot wind power projects in the deep sea areas.
The coastal province will also explore experimental projects related to marine pasture, offshore integrated energy islands, and offshore wind farm for hydrogen production.
By 2025, the province's installed capacity of offshore wind power will exceed more than 15 million kilowatts.
Renewable energy that comes from natural sources including wind and sunlight can significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels and the ecological damage caused by coal mining and coal-fired power generation. Electricity generated from biomass also lead to less emission of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. It also helps improve rural environment as manure pollution from farming is likely to contaminate the groundwater sources in the area.
It is estimated that by 2025, the province's renewable energy generation will be equivalent to saving more than 33 million tonnes of coal per year. Compared with conventional coal-fired power plants, Jiangsu’s increasing use of renewable energy can cut annual emissions of more than 87 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 1.34 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, and 1.92 million tonnes of nitrogen oxide.
