China increases hydropower storage capacity

China is increasing its pumped storage hydropower capacity – a crucial component of the country’s climate action plan – after failing to reach its 2020 target, reports the South China Morning Post. Pumped storage hyrdopower accounts for more than 94% of installed energy storage capacity worldwide.

But, due to a lack of power tariff incentives and geological constraints, China’s installed pumped storage stood at 31.5 gigawatts (GW) by the end of last year, 20% lower than the 40GW target set out in the 13th five-year plan.

China aims to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 and the country’s leader Xi Jinping pledged in December to more than double the country’s wind and solar capacity – from 535GW to 1,200GW – over the next decade.