Guest essay by Eric Worrall
h/t JoNova; CNBC; According to Su Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission, renewable energy is too unreliable to power China.
China has ‘no other choice’ but to rely on coal power for now, official says
PUBLISHED THU, APR 29 202112:03 AM EDTUPDATED THU, APR 29 202112:25 AM EDT
Evelyn Cheng @CHENGEVELYN
- President Xi Jinping announced in September the country’s carbon emissions would begin to decline by 2030, and reach carbon neutrality by 2060 — in four decades.
- In the meantime, policymakers are making clear that economic growth remains a top priority — and that growth depends largely on coal power.
- “Because renewable energy (sources such as) wind and solar power are intermittent and unstable, we must rely on a stable power source,” said Su Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission. “We have no other choice. For a period of time, we may need to use coal power as a point of flexible adjustment.”
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In the meantime, policymakers are making clear that economic growth remains a top priority — and that growth depends largely on coal power. Beijing has a GDP target of 6% this year, a level which analysts say would allow authorities to tackle long-term problems such as the country’s high debt levels.
“China’s energy structure is dominated by coal power. This is an objective reality,” said Su Wei, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission. CNBC translated his Mandarin-language comments, which he made late last week following Xi’s separate remarks at a U.S.-led global leaders climate summit.
“Because renewable energy (sources such as) wind and solar power are intermittent and unstable, we must rely on a stable power source,” Su said. “We have no other choice. For a period of time, we may need to use coal power as a point of flexible adjustment.”
He added that coal is readily available, while renewable energy needs to develop further in China.
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Renewables were never going to be a viable option for China. They gave it a go, but their experiments in renewables have been plagued by intermittency and issues such as wind turbines icing up in winter.
Regular readers might have noticed I’m not a fan of the Chinese system of government. But one of their few advantages over the West is the Chinese government is dominated by engineers and scientists, people who know how to perform a few simple calculations.
The CCP are rather nasty people, but not suicidal loons.
The Green Blob is a Western cult, which the Chinese do not buy into.
Could be the Chinese are promoting the “Green Deal” in order to weaken America, as their economy moves forward, while we fuss over regressive green energy … https://newtube.app/user/RAOB/kf3DIEm
They could easily power their entire country with Nuclear and be Net Zero in 5 years
Truly show the world the way
That would only make their electricity grid net zero. Electricity typically only represents less than a quarter of the energy use of most countries. in some developing countries, electricity use makes up a much smaller percentage than that.
With all their cloning EVs from other auto manufacturers, additional Nuclear Generation allows for additional grid load for recharging of transportation energy as well
Bryan A,
I sincerely doubt that. They have a mountain of debt. That would be extremely expensive. Besides, they only pay lip service to CAGW to appease the West and gain consessions. They think it’s hogwash, as do I. They do love for the West to cripple their economies by using renewables, though, and ship all the manufacturing to China. It’s good for China and the West sending manufacturing there to meet the idiotic Paris Accord targets, means that the same amount of stuff is still made, it’s just made by China who pollutes horribly and by pollutes, I mean the real stuff, not CO2, and they emit far more of both than any nation in the West would do.
So, by the West being “virtuous and green”, they harm the environment far more than if they just manufactured their goods themselves. Makes no sense, if you think CAGW is real, that is, as the West claims it does.
Meanwhile, the West, like Germany, is shutting down their clean and green nuclear plants which provide 24/7, safe, reliable electricity in favor of unreliable, expensive and environmentally snd ecologically destructive solar and wind which, btw, will never save as muchthe CO2 as is took to make, install and maintain and remove them. Not to mention all the energy that will be required to send them to Africa or some 3rd world country, or bury or, recycle them.
And, on top of all that, the raptors they slice, dice, or roast and the bats and tons of insects they kill are another ecological disaster all together and a serious one.
Tom,
They may not be buying into it, but they are definitely paying for a lot of it!
Brilliant and to the point.
No, they do not buy into it, but they do buy its priests.
Out of the two evils running a country, I’d unironically take the CCP.
Just like how China never took to any other western religion.
Never? Ever heard of the Tai-Ping Rebellion? The leader, if I remember the history correctly, proclaimed himself Jesus’ younger brother. That was one of the bloodiest civil wars in history.
There’s actually lots of well-to-do Christians in China.
The CCP has no qualms about profiting from the western Green religion.
If they are using Super critical boilers in their coal fired power plants they are in fact doing very little harm.
Here’s a good use of fossil fuel without CO2 emissions, though that might be even better.
https://rumble.com/vgeik9-thugs-try-to-carjack-man-at-gas-station-end-up-taking-gasoline-shower.html
You mean real scientists
“China has ‘no other choice’ but to rely on coal power for now, official says”
The Chinese sure are a pack of sneaky bastards, but they’re pragmatic. So what’s wrong with the woke crowd in the West?
Not pragmatic.
Pragmatic in some cases – the western wife just won’t pull the plow anymore.
Reminiscent of the picture of a Tesla towing a diesel generator.
Spolied, pampered.
““China has ‘no other choice’”
The West has no other choice than to abandon windmills and industrial solar, as China is doing, and go with conventional power generation, otherwise the Western economies will fail.
They’re woke, but not awake.
Woke: The act of being arrogant and ignorant while living in a virtual world void of knowledge in history, economics, sociology and science.
5th column.
They are divorced from reality. They are the kind of people who say “wouldn’t it be great if…” and ignore every law of physical science and math that makes their day dreams impossible, much less practical.
Is it verging on a conspiracy theory to suggest that China also has a vested interest in the West going with renewables?
First, they make money selling us the gear.
Second, that depresses the world market price for coal which they then purchase for their own use.
You mean like buying crude oil on the cheap and now buying lots of oil from Iran?
I don’t think they care one way or another. China has a lot of poor people who have had a taste of hope and wealth, that appears to be a major driving motivation.
They sell renewables because the West wants to buy renewables, much the same way as they sell Fentanyl because the West wants to buy it.
If there are any lingering resentments, look up the Century of Humiliation. China has not forgotten how other countries mistreated them during the dying days of the Qing dynasty. I doubt it bothers Chinese authorities if the activities of their business people hurt Westerners, so long as they don’t cause embarrassment or loss of face for the Chinese government.
There is a lot of cheating that occurs within China as well, such as the use of melamine to create false protein measurements. Of course, those responsible for the baby formula scandal there will not repeat their crimes as they were executed.
Read – “we’re gonna burn coal until there’s no more left. By which time all your base are belong to us”
China knows this because they came out of a period of factories having to use diesel generators at times in the past before reliable power came along. They aren’t as stupid as the Americans and the Europeans at unlearning things and setting up the next crisis and blaming grid operators for their new problems.
”They gave it a go”. Huh? No, Eric, they did not give it a go. There was never any intention to rely on renewable energy to bring China’s CO2 emissions to net zero. That country has a clearly-focussed plan on achieving world domination by developing reliable energy sources both at home (where it is building artificial islands in the ocean near the Philippines to control international shipping lanes in the area) and abroad through its belt and road initiative.
Unhampered by the need to respond to a fickle electorate they have built the coal plants they always intended to build and will continue to do so, their political backsides covered by the laughable fig leaf of the Paris Agreement.
And even if they had really intended to ‘give it a go’, it would not have mattered a jot because you and I know that CO2 is not the control knob for global temperatures anyway.
They could have fallen under the spell of free energy renewable magic like most in the West, but since they are masters of propaganda they did not fall completely for it.
I think “they gave it a go” as in pretending to care about the global warming scare and to ramp up their manufacturing of solar panels and windmills, so they could sell them cheaper then anyone to the West. You make money on all sides of this game. The West buys your Renewable equipment, which forces their electricity prices way up, causing more manufacturing to be relocated to Asia (mostly China). You set your “NetZero goals” 10 years later than the West (they never really seriously consider doing that), and watch the West self destroy their economies. Once that is all done who cares, if they are exposed for their cynical scam, they’ll rule, that all that counts. Biden will have been a great help in this with all his Green virtue signaling and policies.
@John V. Wright – right on, your analysis. Why do so few people see this, it is so blatantly obvious, what is happening. At least to me.
The Soviet Union also had lots of competent engineers and scientists. China was similar to, or actually worse than, the Soviet crapfest until her leaders decided to learn from Singapore.
As far as I can tell, Singapore is the product of a genius. Most of the time such phenomena are one shot wonders. Nobody else can figure out how to cook the secret sauce. In this case, China has been able to implement many of Singapore’s lessons. That is very impressive.
Sadly, I find it impossible to describe China’s current foreign policy in polite words. Come on guys, you can do better.
It’s too bad the mainland Chinese couldn’t pick up some tips on hygiene from Singapore. Even in China’s most modern cities, one can observe the most disgusting habits.
Come to think of it, we have San Francisco and LA.
Good observation. The Han Chinese make up about 75% of Singapore’s population. Also Singapore’s population is largely the result of immigration.
So, you have people coming from a place where there is a lot of low class behavior to a place where good behavior is the norm and they obviously conform to the local norm. The people who might behave badly in China quickly shape up when they get to Singapore.
Many people disagree with the broken windows theory but Singapore points in that direction.
China looking out for China. Nothing wrong with that. When will leaders in the West do the same for their countries?
Trump was, look how the leftards freaked about it.
Star Wars Day down there.. and in the US tomorrow….
May the 4th be with you !!
In Scotland the saying is “May the Firth of Forth be with you”.
Good on both May 1st and May 4th.
In my opinion, the only use for renewable energy is virtue signalling. It does not respond to load demand.
It apears that the powers that be in China have no use for that.
Only if you have LED virtue-signals, preferably incorporating a back-up battery.
“Because renewable energy (sources such as) wind and solar power are intermittent and unstable, we must rely on a stable power source”
…file under…no sheet Sherlock.
Yes but you can make it reliable after you’ve made it unreliable-
Taxpayers to subsidise fossil fuels after governments’ renewables ‘shambles’ (msn.com)
China has been saying this for many years, just using subtle language. Now they are using clear and precise language. The message is, and always has been, the same.
I do so enjoy reading these articles about the deadly yellow peril!
They make me want to run out onto the streets and beat up some Asian person.
Gaad bulless Omerica!
/sarc
Actually the real peril are what Rush used to call the eco-nazi’s and their Green religion, and they come in all colors and nationalities. The Chinese are just smart and ruthless enough to take advantage of the eco-nazi delusion.
Since China is the leftists’ accepted authority on everything this should nail the coffin shut on wind mills and solar stupidity. Good job, buddy!
Yes all hail the Fearless Leader and the next Great leap Forward eh lefties?
Notice the lying and caginess. First, lying by omission, never mentioning the fact that “renewable” energy is also very expensive. Then lying by implication – that they fully “intend” to use renewables, just “not right now”. Then implying that they are “working on developing” renewables, but they just aren’t there yet.
Such liars.
I saw this: “too unreliable” and read no further. Da Troot Comes Out of Its Closet and Waves!!!!
What a gigglesnort that is!!!!!
Predicting zero emissions possibly beyond his lifetime. It’s like a male potency commercial, “when the time is right”.
Always nice as a politician to make grand promises that you don’t have to keep because the “commitments” don’t come to roost until after you’re dead. Guaranteed that any such “deadlines” will have their goalposts moved ever further away by whoever is in charge by then anyway.
Virtue signalling bullshit that only the bone-headed stupid or truly deluded would ever believe.
Hi Eric,
As you are not a fan of China’s type of government, yet are acknowledging their common sense, you might find this article interesting, as to why that might be:
In Quest of a Multi-Polar World
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/03/26/in-quest-of-a-multi-polar-world/
And if that all holds, it does explain a lot of things. For example why you don’t like the system of government but recognize the common sense. It also explains the Climate Alarmism phenomenon in the West, because in a financial system economy, you don’t care about inexpensive energy, factories and jobs, etc.
The West has come to believe that it has found the solution to humanity’s economic problems: “printed money”. And so they are abandoning archaic concepts like: STEM education, standardized test, meritocracy, industry, full employment, affordable energy, national borders, etc. And all that is needed to “square the circle” is the correct political indoctrination of the population: “You will own nothing and be happy.”
For what it is worth…
It is entirely possible to detest a form of government while stating that they retain common sense on important matters.
Because they feel no compulsion to play stupid word games.
Here in canada we could have a reasonable form of Govt AND common sense
Just need people with common sense.
Yes, it’s harder than it sounds
Our resident trolls need to talk to Xi & company and explain how China is all wrong on this, and that solar and wind are the greatest energy sources around, much better than coal.
Talk’s cheap in Opposition and then reality bites-
White House eyes subsidies for nuclear plants to help meet climate targets -sources (msn.com)