Full Text: Energy in China's New Era
V. Leveraging the Role of Innovation as the Primary Driver of Development
China has seized the opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. In the energy sector, it has implemented a strategy of innovation-driven development to increase its capacity for scientific and technological innovation and address major issues and challenges, such as energy resource constraints, environmental protection, and climate change, through advances in technology.
1. Improving Top Level Design for Energy Policies Relating to Scientific and Technological Innovation
China has made energy a vital part of its innovation-driven development strategy, and given more prominence to innovation in energy science and technology. Modern energy technology that is safe, clean and of high efficiency is a key strategic sector and a national priority in the country's "Outline of Innovation-driven Development Strategy". Accordingly China has drawn blueprints for sci-tech innovation in energy and resources, made strategic plans for scientific and technological development of the resources and energy industry till 2035, and proposed major measures and tasks for innovation in energy science and technology. These are all aimed to enhance the role of scientific and technological innovation in driving and underpinning the energy sector.
By making plans for technological innovation in energy and creating the "Innovation Action Plan of Energy Technological Revolution (2016-2030)", China has charted the roadmap and identified its priorities. Through deeper reform, China is establishing an energy science and technology system in which technological innovation is directed by the government and led by the market, and engages the whole of society, with enterprises playing a major role and all stakeholders coordinating with each other. At the same time China has increased investment in scientific and technological innovation in key energy fields and emerging energy industries, stepped up efforts to cultivate professionals in these areas, and endeavored to help all entities involved to improve their capacity for innovation.
2. Creating Diversified Platforms for Technological Innovation in Energy at Various Levels
On the strength of leading enterprises, research institutions and universities, China has created a number of high-standard platforms for technological innovation, and inspired enthusiasm for innovation among all parties involved. Amid efforts to promote scientific and technological advances in energy, China has established more than 40 key national laboratories and a group of national engineering research centers that focus on research into technologies for safe, green and intelligent coal mining, highly efficient use of renewable energy, energy storage, and decentralized energy systems. It has also built more than 80 national energy R&D centers and key national energy laboratories for research in the key areas of coal, oil, natural gas, coal-fired power, nuclear power, renewable energy and energy equipment, all of which cover the vital and frontier areas of energy innovation. Adapting to their own needs and the needs of the industry, large energy enterprises have made continuous efforts to build up their scientific and technological capacity, and have established some influential research institutions in their respective fields. In keeping with the industrial strengths of their regions, local governments have adopted various measures to expand their scientific and technological capacity. Encouraged by the policy of "public entrepreneurship and public innovation", all entities in Chinese society are actively engaged in scientific and technological innovation, and a large number of new energy technology businesses have been established.
3. Promoting Coordinated Scientific and Technological Innovation in Key Realms of the Energy Sector
China has implemented major scientific and technological initiatives and projects to achieve leapfrog development in key energy technologies. Focusing on its strategic industrial goals, China has rolled out a project on oil and gas technology whose emphasis is making breakthroughs in petroleum geology theory and key technologies for high-efficiency exploration and exploitation, as well as finding technology solutions to low-cost, high-efficiency exploitation of unconventional sources of energy, including shale oil, shale gas and gas hydrates. China has launched a project in nuclear power technology to advance research on core technologies of a third-generation pressurized water reactor and a fourth-generation high-temperature gas cooled reactor. The goal is to boost the country's independent innovation in nuclear power technology. In the field of key generic technologies, China has planned for and carried out research into new energy vehicles, smart grid, smart coal mining, clean and efficient use of coal and new energy-saving technology, renewable energy and hydrogen energy, among others. To achieve its major strategic goals, China has given priority to research in basic physics and chemistry concerning clean and efficient use and conversion of energy, in the hope that advances in basic research will lead to breakthroughs in applied technologies.
4. Launching Major Energy Projects to Upgrade Energy Technologies and Equipment
In a global trend of transition to green and low-carbon development in the energy sector, China has accelerated the upgrading of conventional energy technologies and equipment, and is replacing them with new ones at a faster pace. It has redoubled efforts to make independent innovations in emerging energy technologies, and achieved a marked improvement in clean, low-carbon energy technologies. By launching major equipment manufacturing projects and major demonstration projects, China has made breakthroughs in the trials, demonstration, application and popularization of key energy technologies. It has improved the measurement, standard setting, testing, and certification systems of energy equipment, and built up its capacity to research, develop, design and manufacture complete sets of important energy equipment.
To achieve secure energy supply, develop clean energy, and encourage the clean, efficient use of fossil fuels, China concentrates on making breakthroughs in key technologies in energy equipment manufacturing, solving bottleneck issues involving materials and accessories, and promoting technological innovation along the whole industrial chain. China has launched major demonstration projects for advanced energy technologies and equipment in such fields as clean and intelligent coal mining, washing and selection, the exploration and exploitation of deep-water and unconventional oil and gas resources, oil and gas storage and transport, clean and efficient coal-fired power generation, advanced nuclear power technologies, power generation from renewable sources, gas turbine, energy storage, advanced power grid, and deep processing of coal.
5. Supporting the Development of New Technologies and New Business Forms and Models
The world now stands at the confluence of a new round of technological revolution and an industrial revolution. New technological breakthroughs have accelerated industrial transformation, giving rise to waves of new business forms and models in the energy sector. China has made strenuous efforts to integrate energy technologies with modern and advanced information, material and manufacturing technologies, and has rolled out the "Internet +" intelligent energy program to explore new models of energy production and consumption. It has stepped up efforts to innovate and upgrade intelligent solar PV power generation, integrate the development of solar PV power generation with agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry and construction, and open new space for the complimentary application of solar PV power generation, creating new models in the utilization of new energy.
China has picked up its pace in developing industrial chains in the production, storage, transport and application of green hydrogen, hydrogen-fuel cells, and hydrogen-powered vehicles. It supports the application of energy storage technologies at multiple points in energy production and utilization, and the complementary development of energy storage and renewable energy. By supporting the construction of micro-grids for new energy, China has established regional systems of clean energy supply that integrate power generation, storage and utilization. It promotes new comprehensive energy services and strives for complementary, coordinated and efficient end use of various forms of energy. With pilot and demonstration projects leading the way, a series of new energy technologies and new business forms and models have emerged, triggering a fusion of innovative development in China's energy sector.
