Solar panels and wind turbines in China. (Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
China Starts Round 2 of Massive Desert Renewable Energy Build
Bloomberg News
8:01 AM IST, 06 Dec 2021 1:12 AM IST, 06 Dec 2021 8:01 AM IST, 06 Dec 2021 1:12 AM IST, 06 Dec 2021
(Bloomberg) -- China is starting the second round of projects in its massive desert renewable build-out just months after President Xi Jinping unveiled the scheme.
The National Energy Administration has asked provinces to submit a list of the second batch of projects by Dec. 15, according to a report from China Wind Power News, citing an NEA notice. Each individual project must be at least one gigawatt in capacity, with construction starting in 2022 and finishing by 2023, although some grid connections can be delayed until 2024, according to the report.
Read more: China's Desert Giant Leads the Rise of Clean Energy Mega-Hubs
President Xi Jinping in October announced the first 100 gigawatts of projects in the desert build-out were already under construction. Morgan Stanley analysts including Simon Lee said in a Nov. 29 research note that the second batch will likely be even larger.
The projects are meant to be built near existing transmission channels so that little of the power has to be curtailed, according to the report. The NEA also is encouraging construction near existing coal and gas power plants and centralized energy storage to complement intermittent wind and solar.
The NEA didn't respond to a faxed request for comment.
Stay Updated With Business News On BloombergQuint