On the morning of December 9th, local time, during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a special session on ‘Wind, Solar, Hydrogen, and Energy Storage’ was successfully held at the China Pavilion, organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, in Dubai Expo City. This side event was hosted by Energy Investment Professional Committee (EIPC) of the Investment Association of China (IAC) and attracted widespread attention from countries and regions including the United States, Sweden, and the Middle East. Centered around the theme ‘Zero Carbon China, Zero Carbon World’, the conference focused on energy transition and international cooperation. It delved into innovative technologies in wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage as entry points. By exploring integrated zero-carbon energy solutions and development models that combine ‘green + digital’ through multi-energy complementary and collaborative development, the conference built an important bridge for the integration of global energy technologies and contributed Chinese wisdom towards achieving the global carbon neutrality goal.
The conference was presided over by Mr. Eric Fang, the Executive Director of the Energy Investment Professional Committee (EIPC) and President of the National Center for Sustainable Development (NCSD). He mentioned that with the deepening advancement of energy transition, both domestic and international markets are increasingly advocating for an integrated development model of wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage. The era of concurrent advancement in wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage is approaching, and it will reshape the new pattern of energy development through innovation. Embarking on the path of high-quality, zero-carbon development in the wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage industry under the new international circumstances and pattern is the optimal solution for achieving global carbon neutrality.
Mr. Neil Bush, Chairman of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, stated in his address that China, as the largest developing country in the world, has been believed for many years to be a friend of the United States. The friendly relations between China and the United States are beneficial to the people of both nations. He expressed the hope that through pragmatic measures, a respectful and friendly dialogue between China and the United States could be achieved, fostering specific international cooperative projects. For instance, collaborating with international partners to successfully introduce gravity energy storage technology to China and leveraging the influence of China’s wind and solar industries, as well as the re-innovation of Chinese enterprises to make gravity energy storage technology rapidly developed and implemented in China, thus provide wisdom and experience for subsequent domestic and international new energy storage projects.
Mr. Zhang Jie, Vice President of the Energy Investment Professional Committee (EIPC) of IAC, stated in his speech that achieving zero-carbon transition in energy is key to meeting the temperature control targets of the Paris Agreement. Represented by photovoltaics and wind power, renewable energy in China is accelerating its rise. In the past decade, the cost per kilowatt of wind power projects in China has dropped from 8,000 CNY to about 4,000 CNY, and the cost per kilowatt of photovoltaic power projects from 12,000 CNY to about 4,000 CNY, with reductions of approximately 50% and 70% respectively. In some areas of China, on-grid power tariff of less than 0.1 CNY have been achieved; internationally, in regions like Saudi Arabia, there are precedents for photovoltaic electricity prices as low as 0.01 USD (1 US cent) per kilowatt-hour.
Chinese wind and solar enterprises are broadly cooperating with international partners, contributing China’s zero-carbon efforts to the global zero-carbon development. Since the EIPC initiated the “Zero Carbon China Initiative” in January 2020, it has consistently focused on cooperation in the wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage industries, accumulating strength towards a zero-carbon China. This year, the “Zero Carbon China initiative” has further expanded along the “Belt and Road.” EPIC has established cooperation with Mongolia and Saudi Arabia on wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage industrial parks, joining member units and partners to support the zero-carbon development of these Belt and Road host countries.
Sailing with the Wind, Leading the Global Innovation in Wind Power Technology
Mr. Zhang Qiying, President of Mingyang Smart Energy Group Limited, stated that as an extremely low-carbon energy form with excellent climate benefits, wind power is playing a significant role in the global green transition of energy. To achieve sustainable development in human society, it is imperative to embrace the era of ocean civilization. In this regard, Mingyang Smart Energy is leading the way in offshore wind power innovation, venturing into ‘uncharted territories’. The company is pushing for the large-scale development of offshore wind power, extending into deeper waters, and pursuing integrated solutions. This endeavor is contributing significantly to the development of the ocean economy.
Sharing the Sunlight, Harnessing Solar to Create a Green Energy World
Ms. Xue Weiru, the Market Strategy Head of Xi’an LONGi Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd., conveyed that in the vigorous promotion of renewable energy applications, LONGi adheres to the “Solar for Solar” philosophy and the development of sustainable ecological models as a leading global solar technology company. The company has committed to using 100% renewable energy for its global production and operations by 2028, demonstrating its competitiveness and sense of responsibility in the field of sustainable development. Concurrently, LONGi is actively strengthening its global presence, continuously contributing the “LONGi Power” through leading technologies to international collaborations. In partnership with international allies, LONGi Hydrogen Technology aims to explore the green hydrogen market, assisting in the achievement of carbon neutrality.
Hydrogen Ignites the Future, Building a New Ecology for Green Hydrogen
Mr. Li Jiaqiang, Director of the Development Planning Department at Sinopec, discussed the thoughts of Chinese hydrogen energy leading enterprises, represented by Sinopec, on the current status, practices, trends, and challenges in the development of the hydrogen energy industry. Sinopec plans to focus primarily on two main areas: hydrogen energy transportation and green hydrogen refining and chemical integration. The company is dedicated to vigorously developing integrated hydrogen energy businesses, fully leveraging the supportive and integrative role of central enterprises, and actively promoting high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry chain.
Integrating Hydrogen with Biogas, Constructing a Collaborative Zero-Carbon Ecosystem
Mr. Zhu Hongguang, Director of the Shanghai Linhai Double Carbon Ecological Research Institute and Head of the Biomass Energy Research Center at Tongji University, introduced the development of the biogas industry from various perspectives, including technological completeness, regional, and full industry chain development. Focusing on hydrogen-to-methane as a path for scientific and technological innovation, he discussed increasing the production capacity of biomethane, exploring new horizons in green electricity storage, and establishing a new system for the production, transmission, storage, and suppl
Discussing the Journey from Zero-Carbon China to Zero-Carbon World
The conference has set up a roundtable dialogue session, where senior experts and industry representatives from the fields of energy and climate from China, the United States, and the Nordic-Middle Eastern regions focus their discussions on three core issues. The first is the relationship between the global green energy transition and the integration of wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage; the second concerns transnational cooperation and innovation models; and the third pertains to sustainable development and social responsibility. Mr. Guido Frederik, Global Head of Natural Resources at First Abu Dhabi Bank, commented that climate change has profound global implications, particularly in accelerating the rapid development of new energy industries. New energy represents a vast industrial chain and an ecosystem for sustainable development, encompassing sectors like photovoltaics, wind power, hydrogen energy, and energy storage, thereby becoming a focal point of financial capital. As one of the world’s largest international banking institutions, First Abu Dhabi Bank has over a decade of operational history in China. It has consistently promoted green and sustainable development, striving to tilt financial resources towards green and sustainable assets. The bank offers customized services for the diverse financial needs across the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the new energy industrial chain. First Abu Dhabi Bank hopes to build international cooperation and contribute to the achievement of the ‘carbon neutrality’ goal together with various parties.
Ms. Fang Li, the Chief Representative of the World Resources Institute’s Beijing Office, stated that since the initiation of the “Greening the Belt and Road” project in 2019, the World Resources Institute has primarily focused on supporting China’s shift from traditional to renewable energy in its overseas energy and power investments. The main content includes two aspects. Firstly, the development of a Green Development Guide for the Belt and Road Initiative aims to safeguard the economic returns, environmental benefits, and corporate responsibilities of enterprises and projects, ensuring a win-win situation. The goal is to enhance the ecological and environmental management standards of foreign investment cooperation projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and guide financial institutions, enterprises, and other stakeholders in green investment practices. Secondly, to ensure the social responsibility and environmental sustainability of overseas renewable energy investment projects, a concerted effort is required from governments, enterprises, financial institutions, and social organizations. Support from the entire ecosystem is needed, along with mechanisms that allow good practices to yield better returns, to promote a healthy operation.
Mr. Hu Gaofeng, the Deputy Chief Representative of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) in South Africa, expressed that as the world’s largest photovoltaic power generation enterprise and the largest developer of new energy, SPIC has expanded its operations into 47 countries globally, with investment projects in approximately 20 of these nations. This includes three ongoing projects in Saudi Arabia, such as the Saudi Red Sea Integrated Energy Project, which is also the world’s largest off-grid energy storage project. From the perspective of a state-owned enterprise’s social responsibility, SPIC has undertaken new energy projects responsibly and achieved its carbon peak in 2022. Looking forward, SPIC hopes to contribute to the sustainable development of the economy and society through more new energy projects, adopting complementary models of wind-solar, hydro-solar, and multi-energy complementarity.
Ms. Sara Norman, the Director of International EPD Strategy and Sustainable Development at the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet), remarked that Sweden has always placed great emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development. To achieve these goals, the Swedish government and businesses have continually invested funds and resources in clean technology innovation. These innovations span multiple sectors, including energy, transportation, and manufacturing, providing strong support for Sweden’s sustainable development. As one of Europe’s significant renewable energy markets, the growing demand for photovoltaics in Sweden offers broad export prospects for Chinese renewable energy companies. By the end of 2022, Sweden’s photovoltaic installed capacity reached 2.6 gigawatts, and the Swedish government has set a target of 65% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This will continue to stimulate demand growth for photovoltaic and wind power technologies and products. Chinese renewable energy companies, by continually enhancing their competitiveness and strengthening international cooperation with Sweden, are well-positioned to promote the sustainable development of renewable energy in Sweden.
Mr. Zang Wenping, Chairman of Tianjin Kimwan Hydrogen Energy Technology Development Co., Ltd., stated that Kimwan has made some breakthrough progress in the development of hydrogen energy. During the development of a new type of carbon material, Kimwan discovered that carbon has a good catalytic effect. Through technological innovation, it is possible to couple wind and solar power for direct hydrogen production through wind and solar energy, an innovation developed in-house. Leveraging green electricity, green hydrogen, and green chemistry engineering, it is possible to achieve a future for humanity that is greener, more environmentally friendly, and more low-carbon.
In this vibrant and engaging special session, participants from various sectors, including policy, industry, academia, research, and investment, shared the latest advancements and practical experiences in innovative technologies related to wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage. These insights provided new perspectives for government, corporate, and investment entities in their decision-making processes for the development of zero-carbon energy. This session facilitated the establishment of a platform for stakeholder cooperation and exchange, injecting fresh vitality into strengthening domestic and international collaboration in the field of energy science and technology. The integrated development model of wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage as a zero-carbon energy solution will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the global goals of carbon neutrality and addressing climate change.
