Shaping the future of energy and materials
December 1, 2020
December 1, 2020
The World Economic Forum, supported by Accenture, has developed the System Value framework to move beyond cost to a more holistic evaluation of energy sector opportunities across economic, environmental, societal and energy system value dimensions.
Key system value dimensions for China have been prioritized across the framework based on current market dynamics and its relative maturity of transition towards net-zero integrated energy system.
China’s electricity market was one of several markets chosen to demonstrate how the System Value framework can be used to evaluate opportunities that accelerate economic recovery and a clean energy transition.
Solutions to deliver peak emissions before 2030.
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, the 14th Five-Year Plan will need to accelerate the pace towards an integrated energy system.
Energy security
Domestic technology
Lower total energy cost
Climate change
Utility-Scale Wind and Solar
Wind power has become China's third largest power source after hydropower and coal power.
The rapid growth of China's solar energy industry began in 2004. A comprehensive solar energy industry policy system was gradually established, including a multi-level policy framework incorporating pricing, subsidies, taxes, and grid connection. Industry standards and testing and certification systems were also developed.
Distributed Energy
Decentralized, flexible, clean and efficient distributed energy will become an indispensable part of China's energy supply.
China is in a critical period of economic structural transformation, with the proportion of heavy industry declining and the proportion of commerce and service industries rising. Thus the proportion of distributed loads (commercial and small industrial facilities) is expected to increase, with energy demand becoming more dispersed and flexible.
Internet of Energy
Energy technology and digital innovation are changing the traditional value chain of energy, leading to the construction of a new digital energy ecosystem in China (“the Internet of Energy”).
The power loss rate is an important technical and economic index for power grid enterprises. Strengthening power loss management can reduce cost, increase efficiency, improve lean management, effectively detect hidden security risks, optimize the distribution network, and provide users with safer, more reliable power supply services.
Efficiency Investment
The Chinese government set a goal to cut energy intensity by 15% from 2015-2020 and invest $270 billion in energy efficiency. After three successful years, in 2019, China fell just short by only 3%. The NDRC noted the rapid growth of steel, building materials, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and the service sector as negatively impacting efficiency goals. However, as of May 2020, China remains on schedule to achieve the upcoming five-year reduction target.
Transport Electrification
The road transport sector has a net-zero emissions target set for 2050.
China targets to electrify an additional 3% of industrial energy demand by 2025.