‘China’s initiative to curb pollution could boost solar power by 13%’

SHANGHAI:  China’s determination to decrease chronic air pollution could amplify its capability to produce solar power by up to 13 per cent by allowing more sunlight to reach the earth, according to a new study by researchers from Switzerland, Netherland and China, published in Nature Energy journal on July 9.

China has been working to control harsh levels of pollution by cutting coal use, refining fuel standards and inspiring cleaner forms of industry and energy. Hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 fell by 42 per cent in 74 major cities from 2013 to 2018.

The country’s total mounted solar capacity stood at 170 GW by the end of 2018, about 9 per cent of total generating capacity. Solar plants last year produced 177.5 terawatt-hours of electricity, about 2.5 per cent of the total.

China is intended to increase the success of solar companies in order to decrease the subsidies paid to renewable energy providers, with the fast growth in new capacity creating a payment backlog expected to reach 60 billion Yuan ($8.7 billion) by next year.

The average price paid to solar producers has already been cut from more than 1 Yuan/kWh in 2011 to around 0.3 Yuan/kWh this year.

Earlier this year, the regulators said, this year that subsidies would be cut to zero by 2021 for onshore wind power generators.

China is also launching a series of subsidy-free solar and wind power plants this year.