Energy produced from solid biofuels and renewable waste in China 2008-2018

Energy consumed by transportation accounts for a significant share of the world’s energy consumption. This means that making the switch to cleaner and renewable energy for transport is an essential step in tackling climate change. Biofuels are fuels stemming from all types biological matter, such as sugar cane, corn or municipal waste. In 2018, China produced over 64 gigawatt hours of energy derived from solid biofuels and renewable waste.

 Energy mix 

Traditionally, China has heavily relied on coal to meet its energy needs. Even today, around 69 percent of the country’s energy was generated from coal. Every year, around 80 exajoules of coal energy was consumed in China, which was almost three times the consumption of 20 years ago, driven by steady economic development.

 Renewable energy 

 Among all the instruments governments have adopted to cope with increasing carbon emissions, renewable energy is one of the major pillars that have attracted a lot of attention for its potential to create jobs and contribute to the economy. China is no exception from this trend. In the last decade, production of green energy has skyrocketed to over 1,811 terawatt hours in 2018, with hydropower being the most dominant renewable energy type in China.