China Energy reports record electricity production for H1

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy), the world's largest coal-fired power generation giant, on Friday reported record-breaking half-year electricity production to address the country's energy demands fueled by scorching heatwaves.

The state-owned company generated 571.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in the first half (H1) of 2023, marking the highest output ever recorded for this period in history, said the company at a press conference.

Its coal-fired power generation also reached a record level for the same period, up 8.4 percent year on year, it added.

As a major coal miner in China, the company produced over 300 million tonnes of coal in the January-June period, with monthly coal production hitting 51.7 million tonnes on average, to guarantee energy supply amid power consumption peak season, said Huang Qing, a spokesperson with China Energy.

The company's self-produced coal has remained at the peak level of 50 million tonnes for 21 consecutive months since October 2021, and its coal production in March hit a monthly historic high of 53.74 million tonnes, according to the company.

Heading into July, China Energy said it has continued robust electricity generation, setting a daily record of 4.19 billion kWh of electricity output on July 11.

In line with its goal of pursuing green transformation, the power generation giant reported an accelerated production of sustainable energy. Power generation from new energy sources saw a year-on-year increase of 24.3 percent during the first half of the year.

The company has commenced the construction of 8.54 million kilowatts of new energy projects and successfully put into operation 5.52 million kilowatts in H1, both of which reached historical highs for the same period.

China Energy's installed capacity of photovoltaic power exceeded 20 million kilowatts for the first time, and that of wind power reached 54.91 million kilowatts in the period, solidifying its position as the world's largest wind power generator, said the company.

The scale of renewable energy projects under construction reached 39.81 million kilowatts, it added.