On August 31, 2023, the China Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute (EPPEI) held a press conference in Beijing to unveil the Report on China Energy Development 2023 and Report on China Electric Power Development 2023. The event was attended by Huang Xuenong, General Supervisor of the National Energy Administration (NEA), Liu Jizhen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Zeng Rong, Vice President of Tsinghua University, and other distinguished guests. Representatives from relevant national departments, local government energy authorities, industry associations, energy and electric power companies, research institutes, universities, design organizations, financial institutions, private enterprises, and media outlets celebrated this moment by participating in person or watching the live broadcast. Du Zhongming, President of EPPEI, delivered welcome remarks, and Hu Ming, Executive Vice President presided over the conference.
The two reports closely follow industry trends and gave an overview on the supply and demand of various energy products in China, such as coal, oil, and gas for the year 2022. They also highlight major progress in energy technology, relevant policies, and international cooperation, and provide a detailed analyses of the electric power industry in 2022. Besides identifying the future trends of energy and electric power, the two reports delve into relevant policies, and offer suggestions for government decision-making, business operation and social development.
Huang Xuenong, General Supervisor of the National Energy Administration (NEA), pointed out that 2022 was a crucial year for China as it marked the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the march toward the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country. Guided by the new energy security strategy featuring Four Reforms and One Cooperation , China has deepened its energy reform, resulting in greatly enhanced energy security, a shift towards green and low-carbon energy, a more modernized energy supply chain, as well as better energy systems and mechanisms. Meanwhile, fruitful results have been achieved in international energy cooperation. This year marks the seventh consecutive year that EPPEI has released the Report on China Energy Development and Report on China Electric Power Development. Over the past seven years, these two reports have recorded the remarkable achievements of China’s energy and electric power sectors, elaborated on industry hotspots and challenges, and delved into future trends and priorities. Relevant and timely, they have pooled wisdom and strengths from various parties, contributing to the low-carbon transition and high-quality development of energy.
Academician Liu Jizhen of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) emphasized that the global energy landscape was undergoing complex and profound changes, with a new round of energy reform under way. In future energy reform and innovation, priority must be given to “stepping up the building of a new energy system” and “creating a new power system”. To this end, it is necessary to synergize the industry ecosystem, the supply chain and the innovation process, step up the development of key technologies and equipment in the energy field, and fully utilize the strengths and overcome shortcomings. In particular, efforts should be put into cutting-edge research in new-type energy storage and hydrogen power, large-scale offshore wind power development, and the integration of power source, grid, load, and storage. Attention should also be paid to new fields of “energy plus”, such as energy plus transportation, in order to gain an edge and a bigger say in the energy transformation and reform. Academician Liu believes that EPPEI will give full play to its role as “an energy pacesetter and national think tank” , and uphold the academic principle of independence, objectivity, and fairness. The release of the Report on China Energy Development 2023 and Report on China Electric Power Development 2023 is a case in point that shows how EPPEI fulfills its responsibility as an industry leader with innovation efforts.
Du Zhongming, President of EPPEI, pointed out that the institute was committed to its role as “an energy pacesetter and national think tank” by serving the government, the industry, and the society. Bearing the country’s most fundamental interests in mind, EPPEI is dedicated to contributing wisdom and solutions to the dual carbon goals, and rolled out a series of blue books covering areas such as energy and power development, energy storage innovation in power generation and grid, economic research on power technology, and international energy cooperation. These blue books are the epitome of EPPEI’s insights in balancing energy security, green development, and innovation-driven growth, as well as its profound heritage and research capabilities as a high-end consulting institution for over 70 years. Not long ago, during his inspection in Jiangsu Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that energy supply and security bears on the economy of a country and the well-being of its people, and involves the country’s most fundamental interests. Since the beginning of this year, EPPEI has been carrying out initiatives to raise awareness of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, studying the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, and implementing the important instructions on the energy sector given by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Stepping up the planning and building of a new energy system and supporting China’s modernization with energy security has been identified as the primary task of research. In the new stage of development, EPPEI will adopt systematic thinking, advance coordinated research, and innovate the theories and methods. It will also set an example for advanced technology innovation, propose timely policy recommendations, and take the initiative to shoulder the responsibilities as a key national think tank.
During the conference, heads of the National Institute of Clean and Low-carbon Energy (NIE) and EPPEI unveiled the Report on China Energy Development 2023 and Report on China Electric Power Development 2023 respectively. Some experts shared their research findings and perspectives on nine issues of common concern for the industry, namely, major tasks of building a new energy system; challenges and key tasks in the building of a new electric power system; pathways to the safe and reliable substitution of new energy; challenges and key tasks in transmission bases in Gobi desert; prospects for the integrated development of offshore wind power in China; analysis of the green integration of transportation and energy; diversified application of hydrogen power; technologies for integrated power source, grid, load, and storage at the industrial park level; and simulated operation of the new electric power market.
This press conference garnered over 570,000 participants online and offline, and has drawn wide attention across the industry.