Under the "dual carbon" target, the coal and power industry has had a hard time. Since the beginning of this year, under the pressure of carbon reduction, local governments have stepped up efforts to shut down coal-fired power units. In some regions, a "one-sip-all" approach has taken place, shutting down a large number of coal-fired power units at a rapid pace, and some regions have even proposed a timetable for shutting down all coal-fired power units. Superimposed in the second quarter of the market power coal prices rose rapidly, many coal power enterprises into business difficulties, but also caused the situation of power shortage in local areas, to bring challenges to the safety of the power grid.
Carbon neutrality is a big game, and the power industry, which has a high carbon emission, bears important responsibilities. Some people believe that decarbonization of the power system is "clean the house before treating". If coal power units are not shut down as soon as possible, wind power, photovoltaic and other new energy can not be invited in. In the long run, coal power will give way to photovoltaic, wind power and other new energy sources as the general trend of zero carbonization of electricity, but in a quite long period of time, coal power as the base load power source, the power grid "rock" position is difficult to change, blind removal of coal power will bring serious consequences.
Power shortages in some places this summer are telling. At present, China's overall electricity surplus, but there is a power gap in some parts of the local time. This summer, temperatures continued to rise in many parts of the country, and daily electricity consumption repeatedly set new records. Power grid load in guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Shaanxi and other 11 provincial-level regions hit a record high. When electricity is needed, new energy cannot act as "reinforcements" due to its small capacity, large quantity, scattered distribution, and significant intermittence, volatility and randomness. Therefore, the burden of ensuring power supply falls on coal power plants again.
According to the Annual Development Report of China's Electric Power Industry 2021 released by the China Electricity Council, China's full-caliber power generation will reach 7.62 trillion KWH in 2020, of which thermal power will account for 67.9%, making it the absolute main supply force. Wind power and photovoltaics contributed only 9%. Although the installed capacity of new energy has maintained rapid growth in recent years, it is still difficult to meet the high growth of electricity consumption due to the generation efficiency and other problems. To ensure power supply, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) this summer issued a notice to a number of large power generation groups in China, requiring them to upgrade coal storage levels within a specified period to ensure that there is no shortage of coal during peak periods. If coal power is really short in a large area reduction, in the grid load situation under the circumstances of tension, the consequences can not be imagined.
Even in Europe, where environmental standards are tough, coal power is not entirely gone. Although eu financial institutions introduced nearly 40 coal restrictions in 2020, some EU countries will miss the 2030 coal withdrawal date. Germany plans to retire all coal by 2038, while Poland, Romania and Bulgaria have no phase-out plans, and the Czech Republic and Slovenia are still considering dates.
On the road of carbon neutrality, it is more important to consider how to treat coal and electricity based on national conditions. For a long time, as a country with low oil, little gas and relatively rich coal, coal accounts for two thirds of China's energy structure and plays a strategic role in supporting national economic and social development. Coal power will continue to play an important role in the power system until the large-scale consumption of new energy and the safe and stable operation of the power grid are overcome. With the continuous improvement of power market mechanism, when coal power can obtain reasonable income through auxiliary service market, it will play a better regulating role.
In the future, coal power will be transformed from the current base charge power to peak load power and become a kind of security energy. Combined with CCUS (Carbon capture, Utilization and Storage), coal power is also expected to produce zero carbon emissions, providing affordable power while ensuring grid flexibility. Under the vision of carbon neutrality, new energy generation, energy storage, thermal power and CCUS can form a technology portfolio in the future. This process is achieved through continuous technological progress, development and transformation. Therefore, it is unnecessary to talk about "coal".
Wuhan Xinshengneng is a professional power testing equipment manufacturer. We pay close attention to the development and trends of power grid related industries. For more information, visit wuhan Xinshengneng's official website: www.whxsn.com
