Oct 02, 2024 05:40 PM

Chart of the Day: The Region Embodying China’s Energy Transition

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China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region can boast of having the country’s largest fleet of wind power turbines last year. It has also, according to a new report, taken the lead in the country’s coal expansion.

The dichotomy between the northern region’s coal and renewable advancements represents China’s “dual-track approach” to its energy transition, said Dorothy Mei, a project manager at the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), which published the report last month. Although the country has been deploying renewable capacity at a breakneck speed, it “has not relinquished its focus on coal.”

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Inner Mongolia leads China with the largest wind power capacity (nearly 70 GW) and significant coal production capacity (482 million tons annual).
China's "dual-track approach" to energy includes rapid renewable deployment and maintaining coal energy, ensuring energy security after 2021 blackouts.
Expansion of coal mining, especially in Inner Mongolia, could boost local economies but may increase methane emissions, impacting global warming.

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Who’s Who

Global Energy Monitor: Global Energy Monitor (GEM) is a U.S. nongovernmental organization that published a report highlighting China's dual-track approach to energy, focusing on both coal expansion and renewable energy advancements. GEM reported on the significant developments in coal mining capacity in Inner Mongolia and emphasized the potential environmental impacts, such as increased methane emissions from new coal projects. The organization's data also outlines China's efforts in renewable energy, particularly wind power installations in Inner Mongolia.

Caixin: Caixin is a media outlet that covers financial and business news in China. The article mentions that Dorothy Mei, a project manager at the Global Energy Monitor (GEM), spoke to Caixin about China's energy policies. Additionally, the article ends by providing contact information for editor Michael Bellart at Caixin.

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What Happened When

Summer of 2021：: Large-scale blackouts in China, partly caused by a shortage of coal.

2022：: Xie Zhenhua, China’s former climate envoy, mentioned that methane is covered by China's 2060 carbon-neutrality goal.

End of 2023：: Inner Mongolia had the largest amount of wind power capacity in China with nearly 70 gigawatts of turbines installed.

January 2024 to May 2024：: Inner Mongolia added the largest amount of renewable energy capacity domestically.

As of April 2024：: Coal mines with a combined annual production capacity of around 482 million tons were at different stages of development in Inner Mongolia.

As of April 2024：: China was developing around 1,280 million tons of annual coal mining capacity.

As of April 2024：: Xinjiang had 232 million tons of annual coal production capacity under development.

As of April 2024：: Shaanxi had 176 million tons of annual coal production capacity under development.

July 2024：: Local energy official announced Inner Mongolia's largest addition of renewable energy capacity domestically between January and May 2024.

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