By Paul Homewood

The knife through the heart of COP26:

https://chinaenergyportal.org/en/2021-q2-electricity-other-energy-statistics/

Any prospect that China would play ball at COP26 have surely now vanished with their latest power generation numbers.

Compared to 2019, as last year’s figures were affected by COVID, the first six months of this year show that total generation has risen by 504 TWh, or 7.2%. Three quarters of this increase has come from growing thermal generation, principally coal.

By contrast, wind and solar power have increased by just 96 TWh.

But even more significant are the figures for new wind and solar capacity:

There we hefty increases for both wind and solar in Q4 last year, as work caught up after lockdowns. But so far this year, new capacity added is not even up to the level of 2019 and before. Wind power is of little consequence anyway in China, but there were signs that solar capacity could be ramped up quickly.

However, that was before subsidies were cut. Solar capacity currently stands at 267 GW. On current trends, about another 15 GW might be added this year, which is a tiny amount in comparison.

Meanwhile completed investments in thermal power projects is double that of wind and solar this year:

There is simply no way China will reduce its dependence on fossil fuels anytime soon, and clearly the expectation that renewables would one day take over is now dead in the water.

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

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August 5, 2021