Development Trends and Strategic Countermeasures of China’s Emerging Energy Technology Industry Toward 2035

Abstract

Technology innovation is becoming a source of power to lead the transition and development of global energy industry. The development of emerging industries in the energy field is rooted in the reality of China’s energy conditions, the major strategic needs of the country, and the demands for innovation-driven energy development. “Emerging energy technologies” herein refer to not only the renewable energy and nuclear energy technologies, but also the ground-breaking or disruptive energy development and utilization technologies, in the areas such as the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources, the clean and efficient conversion and utilization of fossil fuels, the energy transmission, and the end use of energies. After defining the scope and orientation of the emerging energy technology industry, this paper analyzes the current status and development trends of the emerging energy technology industry in China and abroad. Key areas and technology direction of the emerging energy technology industry toward 2035 are proposed. The guideline, objectives, and key tasks for developing China’s emerging energy technology industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period are explored in detail. The study proposes to focus on the development of 41 new energy technologies in ten areas, covering advanced coal-fired power generation, unconventional natural gas development, energy Internet and integrated energy services, nuclear energy, wind power, solar photovoltaic power generation, solar thermal power generation, biomass energy, geothermal energy, and hydrogen energy and fuel cells. Meanwhile, nine key scientific and technological projects, one major engineering project of multienergy complementary distributed energy system, and two demonstration zones for emerging energy technology integration and innovation, distributed in Hebei Xiong’an New Area and South China coastal areas, are suggested to be established. Corresponding policy implications are addressed, such as strengthening the top-level design for the development of emerging energy technologies and emerging energy industries, integrating the energy-saving industry into the emerging energy technology industry, and adjusting the “new energy industry” to “emerging energy technology industry” in the national plan of emerging industries.