Chinese province gears up for nine-day renewable energy trial

Qinghai aims to provide clean electricity for its 6 million population.

Bloomberg reports that the northest Chinese province of Qinghai is aiming to supply the electricity needs of its nearly 6 million population on renewable sources for a nine-day period, representing another clean energy milestone for a country previously dependent on coal.

A significant portion of power generated during the nine-day period will be in the form of hydroelectricity, generated from the nearby Longyangxia reservoir where daily outflows are projected to hit 850 cubic meters per second.

Qinghai’s total renewable energy installations have surged 42% YoY in 2017 this year and now total 10.7 GW. Although the province that does not consume high energy levels, analysts believe that the the clean energy trial at Qinghai offers the country a chance to assess the cost of renewables without curtailment.

China has emerged as the global leader in clean power investment after it spent $127b in renewable energy in 2017 alone as it eases reliance on coal to reduce widespread smog in cities, according to a report jointly published by the United Nations and Bloomberg New Energy Finance in April.

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