Multiple measures are needed for the linkage of coal and electricity 'three reforms'

　　The "three transformations and linkage" of coal-fired power is an important measure for China's coal-fired power industry to implement the "dual carbon" strategy, and it is also an effective way to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional thermal power generation to new intelligent thermal power generation. The coal-fired power industry not only needs to play a role in providing a safety net, but also continuously improve its level of clean and efficient development. The key step is the "three reforms linkage".

　　The flexibility transformation of coal-fired power continues to advance

　　The basic national condition of China, where coal is the mainstay, determines that coal-fired power will continue to play an important role in ensuring energy and electricity security for a considerable period of time. At present, coal-fired power accounts for less than 50% of installed capacity, producing about 60% of electricity and supporting over 70% of peak load demand.

　　The coal-fired power industry is a key industry in China's power sector that emits carbon dioxide. In recent years, the government has frequently deployed related work. In October 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for the Transformation and Upgrading of Coal fired Power Units in China", further clarifying that the flexibility transformation of existing coal fired power units should be fully improved. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, 200 million kilowatts of transformation should be completed, and the system regulation capacity should be increased by 30-40 million kilowatts to promote the consumption of clean energy. In March 2022, the "14th Five Year Plan for Modern Energy System" was released, proposing to "significantly improve energy system efficiency" and "by 2025, the proportion of flexible power sources should reach about 24%".

　　At the same time, many regions have also included the flexibility transformation of coal-fired power in their key work and formulated implementation plans.

　　In June 2021, the "Action Plan for Energy Conservation, Consumption Reduction, and Flexibility Transformation of Coal and Electricity in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (2021-2023)" was released, proposing to strive to complete the flexibility transformation of 20 million kilowatts of coal-fired power generation units and increase the system regulation capacity by 4-5 million kilowatts by 2023.

　　In May 2022, the "14th Five Year Plan for Climate Change Response in Chongqing (2021-2025)" was released, proposing to accelerate the flexibility transformation of 300000 kW and some 600000 kW coal-fired units. In the same month, the "Implementation Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction during the 14th Five Year Plan Period in Tianjin" was released, requiring the orderly promotion of the conversion and shutdown of self owned coal-fired power units, and the promotion of energy-saving upgrades and flexibility transformations of existing coal-fired power units.