China’s new energy stimulus plan raises solar targets

China’s new energy stimulus plan increased existing solar capacity targets up to 15 times higher compared to previous years.

Two gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2011 are being targeted by China under its new energy stimulus plan, according to China Knowledge last Friday (July 3). The target is reportedly 15 times higher than the country’s 140-megawatt capacity that was generated at last year’s close.

China also increased its solar capacity target to 20 gigawatts for 2020 under the new stimulus plan. The said figure represents a 12.5-fold increase from 2007’s 1.8-gigawatt target.

The National Energy Administration (NEA), which is responsible for managing the country’s energy sectors and dealing with sustainability issues that affect the economy, set the
subsidized solar price at CNY1.09 per kilowatt hour. The figure is based on a bid price for a 10-megawatt solar plant in the oasis-city of Dunhuang, in Gansu province. The national government may introduce more solar incentives to support the solar sector, which was affected by last year’s global financial crisis.

Other areas reportedly identified as ideal solar installation sites are: Inner Mongolia, which is north of the country; Xinjiang, near Tibet and India; Ningxia, which is crossed by the Yellow River; Qinghai, which borders Gansu; and Shaanxi, which is northwest of the country. Most of the said areas are deserts and are greatly exposed to sunshine. An expert from the National Climate Center, Shen Yanbo, named the said sites to China Knowledge.


-  Jen Balboa

Sources:

¹ http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/News_Detail.aspx?type=1&NewsID=25026
² http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/29/content_8841945.htm