China

Solar farm and wind turbines on sunny day

Renewables account for 92% of new power capacity worldwide in 2024

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Countries added a record amount of renewable power in 2024, according to an analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency. The analysis found that solar is by far the fastest-growing form of renewable power, amounting to 77% of new capacity, with wind in a distant second at 19%. Continuing its clean-energy dominance, China installed more renewable power than all other countries combined last year. Still, growth is not on pace to meet a global goal to triple renewable capacity by the end of this decade.

Battery illustration

Chinese researchers develop new battery recycling process that recovers 99.99% of lithium

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The groundbreaking method, developed by researchers from Central South University, Guizhou Normal University, and the National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Energy Storage Materials, employs a unique ‘battery effect’ mechanism. The process achieves remarkable recovery rates: 99.99% of lithium, 96.8% of nickel, 92.35% of cobalt, and 90.59% of manganese, all within just 15 minutes. Unlike traditional methods, this approach avoids harsh chemicals and minimizes environmental harm, generating effluents suitable for use as fertilizer.

Indonesian children smiling

Nine Asian nations have cut child mortality by more than half since 2000

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Child mortality in Asia has fallen sharply, especially in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Nepal, which have all seen a decline of at least 50% since 2000. This progress amounts to millions more children surviving through the crucial early years of life. Particularly noteworthy, India’s child mortality fell from 9% to 3% and China’s from 4% to just 1%. These huge strides have been made possible by improved nutrition, clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, and poverty reduction.

Illustration of the concept of nuclear fusion

China sets new fusion endurance record of over a thousand seconds

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Fusion power is widely thought of as the holy grail of renewable, climate-friendly energy. Now, we are one step closer to realizing practical fusion power for the masses. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak reactor in China’s Anhui Province has set a new record with a 1,066-second sustained fusion reaction. The new record builds on the previous record of 403 seconds set by EAST in 2023. The increase was made possible by a number of upgrades to the experimental system that have doubled the power output while keeping the reaction stable.

Facility releasing air pollution|google

China has reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by more than two-thirds in the last 15 years

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China has dramatically reduced local air pollution levels — particularly in its biggest cities — in the last decade. One rapidly declining pollutant is sulphur dioxide (SO2), which generates smog, causes ecologically-damaging acid rain, and is associated with higher rates of lung cancer and other respiratory issues. China has been able to make remarkable gains in curbing S02 emissions by putting emissions limits on coal plants and introducing desulphurization technologies that remove SO2 from smokestacks.

Molten iron ore

China develops new iron making method that boosts productivity by 3,600 times

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The flash iron making method, as detailed by Professor Zhang Wenhai and his team in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nonferrous Metals last month, can complete the iron making process in just three to six seconds, compared to the five to six hours required by traditional blast furnaces. According to Zhang and his colleagues, the new technology could improve energy use efficiency in China’s steel industry by over one-third. Additionally, by eliminating the need for coal entirely, it would help the steel industry achieve the goal of near-zero carbon dioxide emissions.

Green plant sprout in cracked soil

China completes historic 1,800-mile “Great Green Wall”

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China has finished a 46-year campaign to encircle the Taklamakan Desert with trees, part of national efforts to end desertification and curb sandstorms. Efforts to enclose the desert with trees began in 1978 with the launch of China’s “Three-North Shelterbelt” project, colloquially known as the Great Green Wall. More than 116,000 square miles of trees have been planted, helping capture massive amounts of carbon and bringing China’s total forest coverage above 25% by the end of last year, up from around 10% in 1949.

Dongying floating solar farm

China activates world’s largest offshore floating solar installation

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China’s state-owned CHN Energy has begun generating electricity at a 1 gigawatt offshore floating solar park, 5 miles off the coast of the city of Dongying in Shandong province. The park can generate 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of power each year — enough to meet the energy needs of 2.6 million city dwellers. The offshore floating solar installation consists of 2,934 PV platforms installed using large-scale steel truss platforms affixed to foundations made of pilings.

Professional workers clean and inspect solar panels on a floating buoy. Power plant with water

China adds unprecedented 160 GW of solar power in first 3 quarters of 2024

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China has added a total of 160 GW of solar power so far this year. Putting that total into some context, China hit a total, country-wide solar power capacity of 770 GW in August. After years of installing more solar power than any other nation, the first 9 months of this year accounted for roughly 20% of China’s total solar installations and roughly 10% of humanity’s total solar installations, a truly astounding and record-breaking amount. China yet again has proven itself as the undisputed global leader in renewable energy.

Charging an EV

EV and plugin car sales are booming in China

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August saw plugin vehicles hit a record 54% market share in China. Full electrics (BEVs) alone accounted for 31% of the country’s auto sales. This pulled the 2024 share to 46%, and with the market with plenty of room for growth, the year should end at around 50%. At this pace, the Chinese market is projected to be fully electrified around 2030.