Third largest country on the planet, with a territorial extension of 9,596,961 square kilometers, and the most populous (1.3 billion inhabitants), China is considered one of the great economic powers of the present. This country already has the third largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP), only behind Japan and the United States.
This rapid economic growth requires great demand for energy and natural resources, currently (2010) China consumes about 14% of the world's energy. The country has one of the largest coal reserves, which is responsible for providing 70% of the national energy. However, this source is highly polluting, a fact that makes China one of the most responsible for air pollution. According to data from the World Bank, the nation is home to 20 of the 30 most polluted cities on the planet.
Aiming to diversify its energy matrix and reduce dependence on fossil sources, especially coal and oil, which is one of the major import products, China has developed technology to obtain renewable energy, with emphasis on solar and wind energy (winds).
The country is already the world leader in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells, which are used to obtain solar energy. China is also the largest producer of wind turbines, surpassing the United States, Japan and Australia, which pioneered the development of these technologies.
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To reach this level, the nation has been investing heavily in clean energy. It is estimated that in 2009 more than 35 billion dollars were invested in this sector, against 18 billion in the United States. One of the big projects is Solar Valley, located in the city of Dezhou, whose investment was approximately 750 million. This is considered the world's largest solar energy production station.
In 2009, alternative sources accounted for 9% of the energy used in China. However, the Chinese government expects clean energy to represent 15% of the country's energy matrix by 2020. The world population and planet Earth are grateful for this initiative.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team
China - countries - geography - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
FRANCISCO, Wagner de Cerqueira and. "The development of renewable energy in China"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/o-desenvolvimento-energia-renovavel-na-china.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
