The world is currently facing climate change, and its devastating effects due to mushroomed industrialization, urbanization, and extensive reliance on non-renewable energy resources. To address this formidable challenge, China is investing heavily by leveraging its resources, technology, and workforce to transform itself into an environmental friendly country, and making strides to share its gains with the rest of the world.
According to a report published by China Economic Net (CEN), for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, China has achieved a 100% green power supply, as well as the world’s first mass usage of hydrogen fuel cell buses to serve sporting events. China has carried out technological innovations to ensure a smooth green power supply for the Winter Olympics.
Zhangjiakou, the mountain city in China’s Hebei province, hosting the skiing events of the games, has renewable energy, exceeding that of most countries in the world. And a pioneering “Zhangjiakou Green Electric Grid” is also built to deliver power from the city to neighboring Beijing.
Since the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics, not only the on-site competition but also its surrounding areas have drawn worldwide attention. This time around, the Olympic Games enable people to observe how China’s energy transition is speeding up, and how it will have a significant impact on global economic and social change in the years ahead. The Winter Olympics are more than just a sporting event. In fact, they have become a display forum for cutting-edge technologies, competitive advantages, and economic potential. An all-out “Green Olympics” is intended to expedite China’s energy transformation, and to relay its resolve to the rest of the world under the “dual carbon” goal, a term referring to Chinese president Xi Jinping’s 2030 and 2060 emission targets.
The Beijing Winter Olympics’ pursuit of clean energy exhibited the Chinese government’s confidence, and strength in developing the clean energy industry diligently, and proactively fulfilling its obligations as a principal country in decreasing carbon emissions. Through its iconic Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has been ramping up efforts around the world to create renewable energy projects, and accelerate the replacement of fossil energy usage.
China is also making significant progress toward green and low-carbon development targets through BRI’s most active project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The 1000MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (Bahawalpur), 50 MW Hydro China Dawood Wind Farm, Gharo, Thatta 50, 100MW UEP Wind Farm, Jhimpir, Thatta, 50MW Sachal Wind Farm, Jhimpir, Thatta, and 100MW, Three Gorges Second and Third Wind Power Project are among the 21 energy projects under the CPEC umbrella that are in operation and producing 1300MW. Two hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 1590MW are now under construction: the 884MW Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in KP and the 720MW Karot Hydropower Project in AJK/Punjab.
The latter is aiming for a Commercial Operation Date of mid-2022, with the project estimated to reduce yearly carbon dioxide emissions by about 3.5 million tons, while also improving the clean energy output mix and optimizing the energy consumption structure. This is the first and most advanced hydropower investment project under CPEC, backed by the Silk Road Fund and built by the Three Gorges Group of China’s well-known conglomerates.
Under CPEC, four projects, one each of hydel and wind, are being considered, with a total capacity of 1924.7MW. The projects are the 1124MW Kohala Hydropower Project in AJK, the 700.7MW Azad Pattan Hydropower Project in AJK/Punjab, the 50MW Cacho Wind Power Project, and the 50MW Western Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. Wind Power Project in AJK/Punjab. For maintaining the baseload, initially in CPEC, the focus was on coal power generation, however, in the future, renewable projects will be further prioritized.
The same was affirmed by Dr. Liaqat Ali Shah, policy head of the CPEC, Centre of Excellence, Islamabad, “the share of the renewable energy mix has been considerably improved through CPEC projects, which is a step taken in the right direction, and we must push it further to make Pakistan greener and cleaner.”
It is an opportune time for Pakistani policymakers to put their acts together with their Chinese counterparts and learn from their best practices to fend off the current and evolving environmental challenges in Pakistan.
