China”s energy sector demonstrated remarkable resilience and strategic depth in the first quarter of the year, with production of coal, crude oil, natural gas and electricity all hitting record highs for the period.
As geopolitical conflicts persist and global energy markets face continued volatility, China’s energy sector has emerged as a critical “ballast stone” for the national economy, providing a solid foundation for steady growth through robust supply and an accelerating transition to nonfossil fuels, said industry experts.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics reveal that the country’s raw coal output reached 1.2 billion metric tons in the first quarter, representing a 0.1 percent increase year-on-year. Crude oil production rose 1.3 percent year-on-year to 54.8 million tons, while natural gas output grew by 3 percent to 68.07 billion cubic meters.
These record-breaking figures for the three major traditional energy sources have provided a stable factor guarantee for both industrial production and daily residential life, it said.
The stability of domestic supply stands in sharp contrast to the turbulence of the international market, where geopolitical tensions have driven crude oil prices upward, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.
In this challenging environment, the self-control and autonomy of China’s energy supply chain have become increasingly prominent, he said.
“The fact that residential life and corporate production remained unaffected by international energy fluctuations is a result of our forward-looking layout in the new energy industry,” said Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the NBS.
Mao emphasized that by building a diversified energy supply system, China has significantly enhanced the independence and stability of its economy.
China has further strengthened its energy resilience at the source by promoting a green transition. In the first quarter, electricity generation from clean energy sources — including hydro, nuclear, wind and solar — reached 0.7 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 2.8 percent year-on-year. This accounted for 33.2 percent of the total large-scale industrial power generation.
Furthermore, as of the end of February, China’s installed capacity for renewable energy reached 2.38 billion kilowatts, representing 60.3 percent of the nation’s total power capacity. This shift not only reduces carbon emissions, but also diversifies the risk associated with traditional fuel imports.
Investment has played a pivotal role in maintaining this supply-side momentum. Driven by policies aimed at expanding domestic demand, fixed-asset investment in the energy sector has become a key engine for overall growth.
In the first quarter, investment in the electricity, heat, gas, and water production and supply industries jumped 9 percent, far outstripping the national average for fixed-asset investment.
Infrastructure development, particularly in the power grid, saw massive capital injections.
Dong Xiucheng, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, noted that the rapid implementation of major projects — such as ultrahigh voltage transmission lines, pumped-storage power stations, and large-scale new energy bases — has effectively stimulated industrial activity while securing long-term energy safety in the world’s second-largest economy.
“Efforts to secure energy supply and stabilize prices have built a solid foundation, effectively hedging against international energy fluctuations and stabilizing costs for both corporate production and public livelihood,” he said.
zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn
