October 31, 2024
In January, 2022, we published our first paper on coal repowering in China: “Repowering Coal Power in China by Nuclear Energy—Implementation Strategy and Potential.” The findings demonstrated a strong technical and economic foundation for exploring the potential of repowering coal plants with nuclear technologies. While proving the techno-economic feasibility of repowering coal assets is crucial, it is equally essential to understand the governance challenges involved. Developing insights into the policy, regulatory, and institutional landscape that both hinders and supports coal repowering in China is a key next step.
“Coal Repowering in China: Governance Challenges and Possible Solutions” is a briefing paper authored by Muyi Yang, Professor Xunpeng Shi, Yadong Wang, and Lixia Yao from International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS).
This briefing paper provides a panoramic overview of the electricity governance in China
Using an inductive case study approach, the authors:
• Describe the socio-economic and energy context in which coal repowering is expected to occur in China, including policy, regulatory, and institutional settings. (Sections 1 to 3).
• Identify the most significant governance challenges hindering coal repowering efforts. (Section 4)
• Explore two potential pathways to advance coal repowering in China. (Section 5)
For further details about the theoretical and analytical frameworks supporting the analysis in this briefing paper, please refer to Appendix A. It’s important to note that nuclear power-related issues (e.g.,waste treatment), though significant, are not addressed in this paper, yet they may also affect the pursuit of repowering in China