NDRC and NEA Issue 15th Five-Year Power Plan for Coal-Fired Flexibility Retrofits and New Energy Integration

The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration have issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a New-Type Power System. The plan calls for promoting wide-load high-efficiency retrofits of existing coal-fired units, with the increase in coal consumption under low-load operating conditions kept within 25%. In areas where conditions permit, a number of projects involving co-firing of zero- and low-carbon fuels and carbon capture, utilization and storage will be retrofitted and built.

The plan specifies that policies for the integrated development of coal power and new energy will be formulated, and supports priority implementation of a batch of coal power and new energy integration projects in eligible regions. Through retrofits to enhance coal power regulation capability, the plan aims to promote coupling and integration of coal power and new energy systems, achieve integrated regulation and transmission, and reduce coal-fired power generation.

The plan requires implementing the special action for new-generation coal power upgrades, enhancing coal power's deep, fast and efficient regulation capabilities, and improving the capacity pricing mechanism for coal power. By 2030, flexibility retrofits of existing units should be completed for all units that require them. The minimum power output of combined heat and power units should reach below 40%, and further flexibility improvements are encouraged through heat-power decoupling and other electric-thermal coordination methods, while ensuring stable heat supply.