BEIJING, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from
People's Daily: Energy technology is one of the key areas of
cooperation between China and
France. Over the past 60 years
since the two countries established diplomatic relations, the two
sides have leveraged their respective comparative advantages in
this field and achieved fruitful innovation in energy
technology.
Particularly, they have set an exemplary model of international
scientific and industrial collaboration in civilian nuclear energy,
oil and gas resource development, and new clean energy sectors.
As a remarkable outcome of China-France
nuclear energy technology cooperation, the Daya Bay Nuclear Power
Plant, located in the eastern part of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, is the first
million-kilowatt-class commercial nuclear power plant in the
Chinese mainland. It has laid a solid foundation for China's subsequent nuclear power construction
and development.
In December 1978, China announced the introduction of French
nuclear power technology and equipment. Four years later,
China's State Council approved the
use of French nuclear power technology and equipment in the
construction of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, marking the
beginning of the cooperation between Chinese and French nuclear
energy scientists and engineers in building the plant.
Over 100 Chinese technicians were sent to France to receive training, and gain knowledge
and experience in the operation, maintenance, and management of
nuclear power plants. This experience led to the rapid growth of
Chinese technical personnel and accelerated the progress of
China's nuclear power
industry.
Entering the 21st century, China and France once again joined forces in the field
of nuclear energy technology and collaborated on the construction
of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong province, which utilizes the EPR, or
European Pressurized Reactor, a third-generation nuclear power
solution. It is the first EPR plant in the world.
In the realm of nuclear energy technology innovation,
China and France have engaged in long-term and in-depth
collaborative research. They have established multiple
collaborative laboratories and jointly implemented hundreds of
cooperative projects. More than 1,000 experts have been exchanged
between the two sides for training, discussions, and research.
Recently, China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) and French
energy company TotalEnergies reached an agreement to jointly
operate a new production line for the production of sustainable
aviation fuel, also known as biojet fuel, using waste oils and
fats.
It is reported that using biojet fuel can reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by more than 50 percent compared to traditional
petroleum-based aviation fuel. Sinopec holds independent
intellectual property rights in the technology for the production
of biojet fuel, while TotalEnergies is one of the leading
sustainable aviation fuel producers in Europe. The collaboration between the two
companies is expected to contribute to the green transformation of
the international aviation industry and low-carbon development.
TotalEnergies is a globally renowned oil and gas company and has
been deeply involved in China's
oil and gas technology innovation and resource exploration and
utilization.
According to Wang Wei, a
researcher at the China Institute of International Studies,
TotalEnergies has participated in exploration activities in
China's Bohai Bay, Beibu Gulf,
South China Sea, Yellow Sea, Zhujiang River Estuary Basin, and
Tarim Basin. It has also made diversified investments in
China's oil and gas industrial
chain.
Through cooperation, TotalEnergies and its Chinese counterparts
have enhanced their technological capabilities and accumulated rich
experience, achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.
Expanding into the international oil and gas market is one of
the goals of China-France oil and gas technology cooperation.
Wang stated that TotalEnergies and its Chinese counterparts learn
from each other's experiences and technologies, thus forming a
synergetic force. Adapting to local conditions, they have
established sound partnerships in the Middle East, Africa, Latin
America, and Canada for
mutual benefits.
The cooperation between China
and France in the field of clean
energy is also flourishing. The Groix Island and its surrounding
waters in northwestern France are
well-known for their wind resources. About 10 kilometers away from
the Groix Island, there is the site of a pioneering demonstration
project for floating offshore wind power developed by China General
Nuclear Power Group and its French partner, Eolfi, which covers
about 20 square kilometers of sea area.
"Europe is expected to install
50 gigawatts of floating offshore wind turbines by 2030. China
General Nuclear Power Group, in collaboration with its French
partner Eolfi, has taken the lead in the Groix project, showcasing
their strong technological capabilities. In the future, the project
will lead the development of the offshore wind power industry in
France and even Europe, making contributions to the
development of clean energy in Europe," said a senior executive of China
General Nuclear Power Group Europe Energy.
The French company leading the offshore wind power market in
China is EDF, France's leading electric utility company. In
November 2021, the phase-5 of an
offshore wind power project developed by the company in Dongtai,
east China's Jiangsu province, in collaboration with China
Energy Investment Group (CHN Energy), was connected to the power
grid full-capacity and started power generation. The project is the
first offshore wind power project with both domestic and foreign
investment in China.
Solar photovoltaic is also one of the clean energy sources that
EDF is working on in China. In
early April this year, EDF's wholly-owned subsidiary, EDF
Renewables, officially inaugurated its distributed photovoltaic
project at the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone. The project has a
total installed capacity of 5.4 megawatts and is expected to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by over 4,500 tons annually. It is
reported that EDF Renewables is currently engaged in green
electricity production in more than 20 provinces in China.
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