Coal Power 'Three Reforms' Requires Multi-Measure Coordination

 The 'Three Reforms' of coal power is an important measure for China's coal power industry to implement the 'dual carbon' strategy, and also an effective way to promote the transformation and upgrade from traditional thermal power to new smart thermal power. For the coal power industry to both play a fundamental supporting role and continuously improve its clean and efficient development level, the 'Three Reforms' is a key step.

　　At the same time, many regions have also incorporated coal power flexibility transformation into key tasks and formulated implementation plans.

　　China's basic national condition of being coal-dominated determines that coal power will still play an important role in ensuring energy and electricity security for a considerable period. Currently, coal power, with less than 50% of installed capacity, produces about 60% of electricity and supports over 70% of peak load demand.

　　The coal power industry is a key sector for carbon dioxide emissions in China's power field. In recent years, the state has frequently deployed related work. In October 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the 'National Coal Power Unit Transformation and Upgrade Implementation Plan,' further clarifying that flexibility transformation of existing coal power units should be carried out as much as possible, completing 200 million kilowatts of transformation during the '14th Five-Year Plan' period, increasing system regulation capacity by 30 to 40 million kilowatts, and promoting clean energy consumption. In March 2022, the '14th Five-Year Plan for Modern Energy System' was released, proposing for 'significant improvement in energy system efficiency' that 'by 2025, the proportion of flexible regulated power sources will reach about 24%.'

　　In May 2022, the 'Chongqing City '14th Five-Year Plan' for Climate Change (2021-2025)' was released, proposing to accelerate the flexibility transformation of 300,000-kilowatt and some 600,000-kilowatt coal-fired units. In the same month, the 'Tianjin City '14th Five-Year Plan' for Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Work Implementation Plan' was released, requiring the orderly promotion of conversion or shutdown of self-owned coal-fired units, and advancing energy-saving upgrades and flexibility transformation of existing coal power units.

　　In June 2021, the 'Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Coal Power Energy Saving, Consumption Reduction, and Flexibility Transformation Action Plan (2021-2023)' was released, proposing to complete flexibility transformation of 20 million kilowatts of coal-fired power units by 2023, increasing system regulation capacity by 4 to 5 million kilowatts.

　　Coal Power Flexibility Transformation Continues to Advance