Abstract
There are many promising renewable energy (RE) technologies that could help increase the contribution of RE in energy supply but which are not yet commercially available. The development rate of new RE technologies depends on many factors, such as Research and Development (R&D) efforts and policies. This study focuses on comparing China’s efforts regarding the development of new RE technologies (e.g., wave and tidal, binary geothermal power, floating solar, micro hydro, osmotic energy, floating offshore wind and vertical axis wind turbines) with those of the European Union (EU). For this purpose, we collected data from publications and databases and analysed several indicators: e.g., the development of renewable electricity generation and capacity, demonstration projects, investments in R&D and patent applications. The results show that China has become a big player globally for mainstream renewable electricity (hydropower, wind and solar PV). This development is due to China’s industrial policy and prioritization of effectiveness over cost efficiency. The main developments in China occurred in the 2010s, while the EU was a frontrunner in the 2000s. For the newer or less mainstream technologies, the application in China is still low, compared to the EU, except for floating solar, where China is a lead player. Regarding patent applications, China has shown a higher application amount compared to the EU since 2006. However, only a small share of China’s patents are valid internationally. We conclude that China has emerged as a big player in mainstream renewable energy technologies over the last decade. In regard to new renewable energy technologies, China is predominantly involved in solar energy and, in comparison to the EU, less in other new technologies (e.g., binary geothermal systems and ocean energy).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 6383 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Journal | Energies |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 17 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Another form of geothermal power generation is hot dry rock (HDR), which is rooted in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Instead of using heat from aquifers, this entails injecting water under pressure in deep layers of dry radioactive rocks. The first HDR project started in the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States in 1973. In European countries, HDR projects have been conducted since 1977. The first large HDR project was a joint European initiative by France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK in Soultz-sous-Forêts in France in 1987. The project received funding from the EU, Germany and France. Since 2016, this HDR plant has been used commercially. The first private commercial plant commenced operations in Australia in 2013 [,]. The main activities at the moment are in Europe and the United States [,]. Besides the joint EU initiative in France, Germany has been the most active country in establishing EGS demonstrations []. HDR is one of the research topics for the Chinese roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2060, and has been demonstrated in Tangshan, Hebei Province [].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
Keywords
- China
- European Union
- energy transition
- geothermal
- hydropower
- investments
- patents
- renewable electricity
- research and development
- solar PV
- wind
