īNīRGYTRANSITIONOUTLOOKCHINA2024 Anationalforecastto2050 1 EnergyindependenceisakeymotivationfortheChineseenergytransition,butitisonlypartlyachieved. China’senergytransitionandcarbonneutralitywillbepursuedinbalancewithothersocialandeconomicobjectives.NationalenergysecurityisanoverarchingstrategicgoalatthecentreofChinesepolicy.Energyindependenceistargetedthroughenergyconservation,energyswitching,andexpansionofdomesticenergysupplycapabilitiesandunderpinnedbynationally-controlledtechnologysupplychainsand,totheextentpossible,domesticresourcebases. However,theambitionforenergyautonomyisonlypartlyachieved.Thepowersectoristhefirstmoverinreplacingcoalwithdomesticallysourcedrenewableenergy,anddomesticallyproducedcoalwillbesufficientfortheremainingcoaldemandsegmentsby2050.Oilandgasusagewillcontinuetorelyonimports.Althoughoilconsumptionhalvesby2050fromits2027peak,itsuseinpetrochemicalsandheavytransport(aviationandshipping)willlingerand84%ofoilusewillbemetthroughimports.Naturalgasconsumptionwillremainhighwith2050consumptiononly2%below2022levelsand58%beingimported.Thecontinueduseofgasinpowergenerationandbuildingswouldbeprimecandi-datesforfurtherreplacement.Afastertransitiontonetzeroin2050wheremoreoilandgasarereplacedbydomesticallyproducedrenewablesornuclearwouldsignificantlyboostenergyindependence. China'senergyusewillpeakby2030andreduceby20%by2050,drivenbyelectrificationandenergy-efficiencyimprovements. 2 By2030,China'senergyusageisslatedtopeak,followedbyaremarkable20%reductionby2050asaresultofelectrificationandefficiencyinitiatives.Thisdeclineisalsoenabledbydemographicshifts,includingaprojected100millionpopulationdecrease. Ofthe10worldregionsinourforecast,Chinacurrentlyranksas6thintermsofelectrificationofdemand,butitisprojectedtoriseto2ndplace,comprising47%offinalenergydemandby2050,surpassingEuropeandNorthAmericaandtrailingbehindonlyOECDPacific.EnergyefficiencyimprovementisanimportantpartofChineseenergypolicy,andthetargeteddeclineinenergyintensityisevident:a33%reduction,to3.4MJ/USD, isanticipatedby2035,fallingto2.2MJ/USDby2050.LegalframeworksliketheEnergyConservationLawandRenewableEnergyLawfortifytheseendeavours.Sectoralanalysesrevealanotableefficiencysurgeinbuildings,whereefficiencymorethandoublesby2050,propelledbythewidespreadadoptionofairconditionersandheatpumps.Themanufacturingsectorexhibitsgradualgains,whilethetransportsectoranticipatesamodestincreaseto75%efficiencyby2050.Notably,China'sholisticstrategiesextendbeyondsectors,embracinginsulation,recycling,andsustainabletransportationlogisticstocurtailoverallenergyconsumption. China,alreadyaleaderinrenewableenergyinvestments,willmorethanquintuplerenewableenergyinstallationsby2050. 3 WeexpectasubstantialtransformationofChina’spowermixfromfossil-dominatedtoamuchcleanerone.TheshareofrenewablesintotalelectricitygenerationinChinawillincreasefrom30%today,to55%by2035, and88%by2050. Bymid-century,solarandwindeachwillbegeneratingabout38%ofelectricity.Forsolar,morethanathirdoftheinstalledcapacitywillbecombinedwithstorage,mainlybatteries.Forwind,77%ofpowerwillbeprovidedbyonshoreinstallationswhile20%willbedeliveredbyfixedoffshoreand3%byfloatingoffshorestructures. Sustainedcostreductionsduetolearningeffectsarethemaindriverbehindtheprojectedincreaseinsolarandwind,withbothtechnologiesbecomingthecheapestpowersourcesin2050.Ofothernon-fossilsources,nuclearinstallationswilldoubleinabsoluteterms,butwillremainsmallinrelativeterms,producingonly5%ofpowerin2050. Leveragingcostreductionsandsustainedglobalexports,Chinaispoisedtoassisttherestoftheworldinmeetingitsrenewableenergytargets,exportingsolarpanelsandmostlikelyalsowindturbinestomostpartsoftheworld. EmissionsinChinaareprojectedtopeakby2026,followedbya30%reductionby2040. 4 In2022,Chinacontributed33%ofglobalenergyandprocess-relatedCO2emissions,mainlyfromcoalcombustion.China's2022emissionshitarecordhighofaround12.1GtCO2.ChinaaimstoreducecarbonintensityperunitofGDPby65%from2005levelsby2030;weforecastareductionofonly59%bythen.Nevertheless,DNVfindsemissionslikelytopeakby2026,wellinlinewiththeofficialtargetofpeaking‘before2030’,thereaftergraduallydecliningbytwo-thirdsby2050.By2050, weprojectthatChina'semissionssharewilldropto22%oftheglobaltotal.Inthelongerterm,Chinaisclosetomeetingitstargetofcarbonneutralityby2060,butwillneedtoacceleratedecarbonizationofsomesectors,especiallymanufacturing,toensurenet-zerobythen. GiventheweightofChina’scontributiontoglobalemissions,thetiminganddepthofChina’semissionsreductionareofimmenseimportanceglobally.Thenet-zerotrajectoryforChinaoutlinedinDNV'sPathwaytoNetZeroreport(2023)showsthatChina'scumulativeemissionscouldbe113GtCO2lowerthanexpected,significantlyaidingglobaleffortstoreachnetzeroby2050. CONTīNTS Foreword2 Highlights3 1Introduction10 2Policy14 2.1Governanceandkeyagentsofchange16 2.2Policyagendasshapingthetransition20 2.3Chinaandtheglobaltransition32 2.4Implementingpolicyintheoutlook35 3Energydemand36 3.1Transport38 3.2Buildings44 3.3Manufacturing48 3.4Non-energydemand54 4Electricityandhy