Ongoing Strength in China's Renewables

By Jeffrey Landsberg

As we discussed in Commodore Research's most recent Weekly China Report, Chinese electricity production set a record last month.  Electricity production totaled  a record 943.9 billion kilowatt hours, which is up year-on-year by 2%.  Of note, though, is that thermal coal-derived electricity generation contracted year-on-year by 3%.  Fortunately for the dry bulk market, domestic coal production contracted year-on-year by 10%.  Significant is that China's hydropower production has continued to maintain solid year-on-year growth, and nuclear and solar power production have each set new records.

Hydropower production totaled 161.7 billion kilowatt hours.  This is up month-on-month by 15.9 billion kilowatt hours (11%) and up year-on-year by 10.3 billion kilowatt hours (7%).  Hydropower output has now increased year-on-year for eleven straight months.

Wind power output totaled 82 billion kilowatt hours.  This is up month-on- month by 8.7 billion kilowatt hours (12%) and up year-on-year by 7.6 billion kilowatt hours (10%).

Nuclear power production totaled a record 45.8 billion kilowatt hours.  This is up month-on-month by 3.1 billion kilowatt hours (7%) and up year-on-year by 2.8 billion kilowatt hours (7%).

Solar power production totaled a record 70.3 billion kilowatt hours.  This is up month-on-month by 2.4 billion kilowatt hours (4%) and up year-on-year by 14.4 billion kilowatt hours (26%).  Solar power production records have now been set in four straight months.