China’s top planning agency has said the country approved its first batch of subsidy-free wind and solar projects with a combined capacity of 20.76 gigawatts (GW).
That follows China’s vow in January to launch a series of unsubsidised renewable power projects this year to tackle a payment backlog amid a decline in construction costs in the sector.
Reuters Newsagency reports the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also urged grid companies to sign long-term power purchase contracts with operators of the unsubsidised renewable projects.
A total of 56 wind power projects, 168 solar power projects and 26 pilot distributed renewable projects in 16 cities and regions in China were approved by the NDRC.
By April, China had installed wind power capacity of 280GW and solar capacity 130GW, official data showed.
Meanwhile, China has publicly accused dozens of firms, including some of its biggest state enterprises, of exceeding pollution limits and breaching monitoring standards, as concerns rise that the slowing economy is undermining a five-year war on pollution.
In lists published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment over the past week, subsidiaries of state giants such as China Baowu Steel Group and the Aluminum Corporation of China were cited and fined for breaching emissions standards among other violations.
China has been stepping up its supervision capabilities and has plugged thousands of factories into a real-time emissions monitoring system, but enforcement remains one of its biggest challenges.
The ministry has continued to warn that China’s slowing economy had given some regions an excuse to “loosen their grip” on environmental protection.
EcoNews is an independent publication that relies on contributions from its readers.
WE’RE BUILDING A PLATFORM WITH A CLEAR FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GOOD. CONTRIBUTE AND TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT.
