Experts: Nation leads in green industry practices

International energy agencies have highlighted China's essential role in leading the global shift toward sustainable practices, citing the country's accelerated uptake of grid expansion and renewable capacity additions as a formidable example for the world.

Speaking at the International Forum on Power System Transformation 2025 in Beijing on Tuesday, co-hosted by State Grid Corp of China and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, director-general of IRENA, said: "China's accelerated uptake of grid expansion and renewable capacity additions serves as a formidable example".

Of the significant increase in global renewable power generation capacity, the majority of this growth has come from China, he said.

He commended China's "huge efforts" in driving clean energy transition, particularly in strengthening infrastructure to integrate large-scale renewable energy, setting a "model for the world."

China has built over half a million kilometers of transmission lines in the past decade, accounting for more than a third of global additions, with ultra-high voltage (UHV) lines effectively connecting renewable-rich western and northern regions with eastern demand centers, he said.

China, with massive investments and technological advances, has dramatically transformed its power grid security and reliability in recent years and now boasts the world's highest voltage levels, largest renewable energy integration and most robust resource allocation capabilities.

Currently, China has become the country with the largest scale of new energy connected to the grid globally and the fastest development speed. Technological innovation provides strong support for the safe and stable supply of electricity and for green, low-carbon development.

The country's grid companies, including State Grid Corp of China, have also been actively stepping up investment in the construction of UHV power transmission projects, or the power transmission lines operating with greater than 800 kilovolts of direct current (DC), or 1,000 kV of alternating current (AC), enabling efficient long-distance transmission of massive amounts of power.

With the deepening energy revolution, new technologies and models like smart grids, new energy storage and virtual power plants are continuously surfacing. The rapid advancement of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, and their integration throughout the power sector, is driving a new wave of innovation in power technology.

Compared with traditional transmission lines, UHV lines not only increase transmission capacity and extend transmission distances, but also reduce transmission losses. This technology is crucial for connecting remote renewable energy sources in the west to demand centers in the east.

In recent years, China has been continuously improving the layout of power transmission. By the end of 2024, the country had completed and put into operation 42 UHV AC/DC projects, including 38 by State Grid Corp of China and four by China Southern Power Grid, with cross-provincial and cross-regional power transmission capacity exceeding 340 million kW.

Angela Wilkinson, secretary-general and CEO of the World Energy Council, said that the world is at a critical juncture in energy transition and that China's energy journey is "shaping the global energy landscape."

Wilkinson added that the State Grid has the potential to become a "founder of the next stage of the global energy governance system."

Wan Jinsong, deputy head of China's National Energy Administration, affirmed that actively addressing climate change and accelerating energy transition have become the global consensus.

China is building a new power system in line with global energy development trends and the country is willing to cooperate with other countries on energy technology innovation, Wan said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn