Energy | Nuclear accounts for 90% of Macau electricity supply

The 8th International Forum on Clean Energy (IFCE) began yesterday with the participation of over 200 representatives from the government, industry and academia.

The forum focuses on the green development of offshore wind power, hydrogen energy, fuel cells, energy internet and other topics relevant to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

He Yu, Executive Director General of IFCE, said that joint efforts have been made in the Greater Bay Area to develop non-fossil fuel energy, such as nuclear and wind power, and to enhance the safeguarding of natural gas. 

According to He, the supply of nuclear energy from Guangdong to Hong Kong has exceeded 12 billion kWh per year, accounting for 90% of Macau’s electricity supply.

He thinks that due to nuclear energy consumption, the air quality of the Greater Bay Area has improved, “reaching the national annual average standard.”

The forum also launched two editions of the 2019 Blue Book on clean energy at the opening ceremony.

Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist of the United Nations, complimented China and specifically Denmark for their efforts in reducing energy demand. 

“Decoupling GDP from energy growth is possible as China and Denmark have demonstrated, and efforts should be stepped up to reduce overall demand for energy through efficiency investments,” said Harris.

In his opinion, the world should shift its existing flows of investment away from the fossil fuel industry and into clean and renewable technologies.

The UN official remarked that in 2018, global energy investment was $1.85 trillion, and over half of that investment came from developing and emerging economies.

He stated that despite all these various markets pointing to a position towards renewable energy, the world is still not moving fast enough.

“Clearly, more is needed. What can be done to speed it up? I think the answer lies in public policy,” said Harris. JZ