The National Energy Administration recently issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Integrated Development of Coal Power and New Energy" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Opinions"). The reporter interviewed relevant responsible comrades of the National Energy Administration.
1. What is the background for the issuance of the "Implementation Opinions"?
Answer: The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation of coal-fired power plants. In June this year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction at a Higher Level and Higher Quality", emphasizing the rational control of the installed scale and power generation of coal power, promoting the consumption of green electricity, and strengthening the energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation and flexibility transformation of coal power. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of New Power Systems", which clarified the key tasks for the integrated development of coal power and new energy.
Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", energy conservation and carbon reduction in coal-fired power plants have continued to advance and achieved positive results. First, we have promoted the “Three Reforms Linkage” year by year and exceeded the target tasks. The second is to issue relevant policies such as the "Action Plan for Low-Carbon Renovation and Construction of Coal Power (2024-2027)" and the "Special Action Plan for Upgrading New Generation Coal Power (2025-2027)" to clarify the requirements for clean and carbon-reducing coal power units. The third is to organize the revision of the "Design Code for Large and Medium-sized Thermal Power Generation" and study the addition of carbon dioxide capture systems, zero-carbon fuel blending systems and other carbon reduction design requirements as recommended standard provisions.
In order to further accelerate the transformation and upgrading of new generation coal power and improve the utilization level of new energy, the National Energy Administration has drafted the "Implementation Opinions" to systematically propose scenario models and technical requirements for the integration of coal power and new energy, and to guide relevant units in various regions to promote the integrated development of coal power and new energy with high quality.
2. What are the overall requirements of the "Implementation Opinions"?
The "Implementation Opinions" clarify that the integration of coal power and new energy should be implemented without reducing the ability of coal power to support and adjust the power system. The scale of new energy in the integration project must match the adjustment ability of the transformation, upgrading and improvement of coal power units. With coal power carbon reduction as the main line, collaborative new energy consumption as the focus, diversified innovation as the driving force, and application integration scenario models and technical routes selected according to local conditions, it will provide a solid foundation for accelerating the construction of new power systems and supporting the construction of an energy power. The "Implementation Opinions" propose that by the end of the "15th Five-Year Plan", the integration scenario model of coal power and new energy will be maturely applied, and the annual carbon emission level of the integration project will be significantly reduced compared with the pre-transformation level.
3. What integration scenario models are proposed in the "Implementation Opinions"?
Answer: The "Implementation Opinions" combine resource endowment, dual carbon emission control requirements, system operation and other actual conditions, focus on the integrated and coordinated development of coal power and new energy, and propose five typical scenarios for integrated development.
First, new energy is directly connected to public coal power units in nearby areas to achieve coordinated transmission and consumption. Through deep peak-shaving transformation or the construction of energy and heat storage systems, coal-fired power units are bundled with nearby new energy and utilize coal-fired power transmission lines to achieve coordinated transmission.
Second, new energy sources are directly connected to public cogeneration coal power units in nearby areas to achieve clean heating. Support the coordinated operation of new energy heating and steam supply and coal and electricity heating systems to replace part of the heating supply for people's livelihood and industry.
Third, offshore wind power is directly connected to coastal public coal power units to achieve coordinated transmission and consumption. Through the deep peak-shaving transformation and construction of coal power units and the capacity expansion and transformation of the transmission system, after qualified offshore wind power is landed, it can be delivered by relying on the coordinated operation of coastal coal power units and their transmission system.
Fourth, new energy sources in nearby areas are connected to self-provided coal power units for bundled utilization. Support new energy sources in nearby areas to be connected directly to self-provided coal power units through the public grid or directly to meet the green energy consumption requirements of key industries.
Fifth, new energy in the factory or in nearby areas is directly connected to the energy-using system of the coal power plant to achieve green replacement of coal power itself. Utilize the spatial conditions of the coal yard, main factory building, factory front area and ancillary facilities to directly connect distributed new energy in the factory area or nearby new energy to the coal power plant energy system to improve the level of green energy substitution.
4. What technical requirements are put forward in the "Implementation Opinions"?
Answer: Focusing on carbon reduction transformation, network connection methods, network-related performance, measurement methods and technological innovation, the "Implementation Opinions" put forward clear technical requirements for integration projects.
In terms of coal-fired power energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation, efforts will be made to increase the implementation of regulation capacity transformation, adding energy and heat storage systems, increasing the capacity of the transmission system, and building new energy sources in factories or nearby areas. In terms of new energy grid connection methods, integration projects should form a clear physical interface and responsibility interface with the public power grid, and bear relevant costs fairly. The new energy in the integration project can be directly connected to the energy and heat storage facilities in the coal power plant area, or it can be connected to the power distribution device in the plant or the first access point of the transmission system to form a unified whole and then be transmitted through a shared line. In terms of new energy access line plans, integration projects should optimize path plans and minimize crossovers with existing power grid lines. In terms of measurement methods for integration projects, integration projects should have independent electricity measurement conditions for coal power and new energy to ensure clear measurement interfaces and accurate results. In terms of network-related performance of the integration project, the transient (static) stability, short-circuit current level and power quality after the integration project is connected to the grid should meet the relevant standard requirements for the safety and stability of the power system. In terms of technology research and development and application, encourage the research and development and application of technologies such as energy storage and heat storage, heat storage media such as wide-temperature range molten salt, ultra-high-temperature heat pumps, electric heating equipment, and collaborative operation platforms.
5. What specific measures have been proposed to promote the implementation of the "Implementation Opinions"?
Answer: The integration of coal power and new energy is a systematic project that requires efforts from multiple aspects such as development model, dispatching mechanism, and financial support.
The first is to innovate the development and implementation model of integrated projects, encouraging the same entity to coordinate development and implementation, or to establish a consortium for implementation and operation. Support integration projects to participate in electricity and carbon market transactions.
The second is to operate in accordance with the current power dispatching mechanism, achieve coordinated operation by participating in the power market, and reasonably reflect the environmental value of the integration project. In order to promote the development of new integrated businesses, new energy power abandonment in integrated projects is not included in statistics.
The third is to support qualified integration projects through various types of funds, increase central financial support, and provide financial subsidies to qualified coal power and new energy integration projects. Encourage enterprises to explore and expand investment and financing channels and make full use of existing infrastructure.
6. How to implement the "Implementation Opinions" well?
Answer: The "Implementation Opinions" propose that provincial energy authorities should be supported in working with relevant departments to formulate detailed policies and measures for the integrated development of coal power and new energy based on the actual conditions of the region. Power grid enterprises must provide grid connection services and dispatch operations for coal power and new energy integration projects. All dispatched offices of the National Energy Administration should strengthen supervision, promptly carry out tracking and evaluation of policy effectiveness and project progress, and promptly report any major situations.
